THE LAST TIME SHE DIED

5 stars out of 5

Quirky, intriguing characters with more baggage than a small airport and a plot with more curves than the Le Mans Grand Prix. Together, that makes for a dandy start to a new series.

This is billed as a "Blake & Byron Thriller," for the record; the male half of that combo is John Byron, who's been on leave from his detective job because of, well, some things I can't reveal here. Now, he's been asked to investigate the auto "accident" that ended the life of former London political bigwig Gideon Fitzroy. With his first wife, Gideon had a daughter Blake; with his second, Virginia, he has a daughter and son, Lily and Tom, all of whom live at the family mansion called Claremont. Blake disappeared a decade ago and mysteriously, was never reported missing and is presumed dead. But surprise - shortly before Fitzroy's will is to be read, a young woman shows up claiming to be his long-gone daughter.

Ah, but is she for real? Needless to say, the remaining family, including Virginia's brother and Gideon's close buddy Roger Flint, are flummoxed, although they're not too worried about an inheritance. Even Blake herself expresses certainty that Gideon's Last Will and Testament - which she's seen - doesn't include her. So if it's really her, why did she come back at all?

The answer is beyond complex and involves a childhood friend of Blake's as well as a suspected gangster who continues to befriend the woman who now claims to be Blake. Byron, who is dealing with his own demons from the past, is intrigued by the young woman (read into that what you will), who remains mysterious but clearly doesn't trust anyone. He wants to believe what she says, but his detective instincts are screaming that there's far more to her story than she's willing to reveal.

Slowly, working with local police, Byron begins to follow threads he hopes will lead to the truth; but more than once, they unravel right before his eyes (and those of readers). The ending clears most things up but also drops hints of what's to come in the next installment. I'm already up for it - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

The Last Time She Died by Zoe Sharp (Bookouture, October 2021); 337 pp.