Banquet of Consequences, by Elizabeth George

I wonder why the work force is full of so many managers just like Isabelle Ardry -- unyielding, vindictive, and unable to see the value of an employee who isn't just like her.  Barbara Havers and Isabelle Ardry are nothing alike.  Through a little slight of hand, Barbara is assigned to lead the investigation into the death of feminist author Clare Abbott, but hampered by the necessity of following rules that run counter to her intuitive, bloody-minded methods.