Stick Together is the second book in the Awkward Squad/Anne Capestan series by French author, Sophie Hénaff. It is translated from French by Sam Gordon. Their last case having lost them any friends they might have had is the Police Judiciaire of Paris, Anne Capestan and her team are wary of the new case that Directeur Buron is handing them. The mere fact that they will be working with Crim and BRI (Antigang Squad) pretty well ensures they won’t get a chance at any relevant information.

But Buron decides that Capestan has to be involved because the victim is her ex-father-in-law, Serge Rufus, a BRI legend, recently retired. Despite promised cooperation, it’s soon clear that the remit of their liaison with BRI, one Lt Basile Diament of the Verappe Division, is to block them from anything considered pertinent. The team needs to think laterally.

At the same time, they have a new recruit: Henri Saint-Lô is newly discharged from the psych ward but continues to believe that he existed formerly in the seventeenth Century as a King’s Musketeer, and is not enjoying being trapped in a century full of sneering unbelievers. Although Capestan’s squad have made him more welcome than any other…

But while Crim and BRI are focussing on potential gangland paybacks or score settling, Anne’s team have already linked this execution-style murder through certain common features to another, days earlier, in Provence. This entails a swift trip to attend a funeral, and Orsini uses his press contacts to learn more about the victim. But it’s Rosière’s quick thinking that garners a real clue.

When there’s a third murder in Lyon, cooperation from that city’s police provides the most solid lead to the murderer, but also presents Capestan with a dilemma that tests her trust in her team. And gives her the unenviable task of revealing to her ex-husband that his father might not have been as clean as all that. Renewed face-to-face contact brings the unwelcome confirmation that the attraction is still strong.

Anne’s squad of black sheep (aka the official dregs squad) are well used to everything that is issued to them being broken, worn out or substandard, so they either make do or get creative, and Dax’s improvisation for a lack of e-fit software is truly inspired. The banter between the team members is always entertaining and often clever and laugh-out-loud funny, especially the send-up of Diament.

This instalment provides some of Anne Capestan’s backstory, as well as filling out the rest of the team, and offering some delightful vignettes of their individual Christmas Eves. There’s a foot-chase, a string of ponies comes into play, a tibia is fractured, Rosière hires, much to Lewitz’s delight, a Porsche for covert surveillance, Merlot adopts a rat with the intention of training it for police work, and Torrez reveals a decidedly unexpected talent.

This novel can’t really stand alone, but why would a reader deny themselves the pleasure of the reading The Awkward Squad? Unlike Mick Herron’s tendency to knock off Slough House xxxs, Hénaff concludes this instalment with two new team members, a trip to Hawaii and a delicious hint at something that will have readers eager for the third book. And a fervent wish that Sam Gordon translates it into English soon). Very enjoyable French crime fiction.