THE LOST VICTIM

5 stars out of 5

Police detective turned private investigator Kate Marshall makes her fifth appearance here, and I'm happy to say I've followed her from the start. That said, this book stands alone well (although as always, I'll advise starting any series from the beginning, which in this case is Nine Elms). I'm even happier to say I've enjoyed every single one.

Just as Kate and her agency partner, Tristan Harper, are wondering where the money will come from to pay the bills, Kate is contacted by an agency wanting help with a true crime podcast focusing on Janey Macklin, a young school girl who went missing three decades ago from a not-so-nice part of London. The would-be producer chose Kate because of her investigative skills, of course, but also because of the suspicion that the so-called Nine Elms Cannibal serial killer (one who made Hannibal Lecter look like a saint) might have had an appetite for Janey as well. More to the point, Peter Conway is in jail for other similar crimes and in failing health, but he and Kate have a history that produced their now-grown son, Jake. She, in fact, is the one who discovered his deadly secret and is responsible for his arrest and conviction.

Kate wants nothing to do with Peter, understandably, and while Jake is a bit more accepting of his father, he feels much the same. But the podcast producer can put her and Tristan up in a place she owns near the place at which Janey disappeared, and then there are those bills to consider. So, Kate reluctantly agrees to take a look - and what she sees isn't pretty. Fairly early on, several suspects are identified, but proof remains elusive.

By all accounts, though, Peter may well have known Janey - and even if he didn't do the deed, it's quite likely he knows who did. And that means Kate will have to do something she's refused to even think about since Peter went to prison. After that, it's following leads and patching together clues that lead to a really grand finale and open a path to the next adventure. I'll definitely be ready when it arrives - and meantime I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. Good job!

The Lost Victim by Robert Bryndza (Raven Street Publishing, July 2024); 322 pp.

SERPENTINE

 5 stars out of 5

Psychologist and police consultant Alex Delaware and LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis have been friends for so long they can finish each other's sentences. I've been trailing them around for just as long, enjoying their interaction as they solve sometimes complicated murder cases, that I probably could finish them as well. And this - the 36th book in the Delaware series - doesn't disappoint.

This time, though, it's a cold case that falls - make that is shoved - into the lieutenant's lap. Why now? Apparently, a very wealthy woman is demanding that the case be reopened; she's convinced that a woman who was shot, pushed over a cliff in her car and burned beyond recognition 36 years earlier is the mother she never knew. A couple of subsequent investigations revealed nothing, and the hope is that Milo will work his usual brand of magic and find out what really happened.

Any investigation of this sort means delving into family matters, and it soon becomes clear that one of her dearly loved relatives may have some connection to other suspicious deaths. Also quite clear, though, is that someone living in the present really doesn't want an investigation to proceed. The trail leads over, under, around and through the streets of Los Angeles (with plenty of territorial description and stops to eat along the way) until it comes to a surprising end. 

All told, it's another very enjoyable foray into the world of Alex and Milo - made even more enjoyable by occasional appearances of Alex's main squeeze, expert guitar-builder/repairer Robin. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy!

Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman (Ballantine Books, February 2021); 368 pp.

THIS IS HOW I LIED

5 stars out of 5

Based on my reaction to the books I've read previously by this author, it's safe to list her among my favorites; not one has been anything close to disappointing. And by golly, she's gone and done it again.

I've said many times, though, that I'm really not a fan of books in which chapters constantly switch between time periods and among characters. On the other hand, it can be a very effective technique, especially when the shifts are clear - as they are here. In fact, I doubt the story would be half as powerful were it not for the the backstory "reveals" - in this case, to 1995, when Maggie Kennedy O'Keefe discovered the body of her best friend, Eve Knox, in a secluded cave in Grotto, Iowa. Maggie's father was police chief at the time, but after a lengthy investigation, the killer was never identified.

Today, Maggie herself is a police officer, with a husband Shaun and a soon-to-be-born daughter. She gets the shock of her life when some kids find a boot in the cave where Eve's body was found - and everyone, including Maggie, recognize it as being Eve's. Shaun isn't happy that Maggie will be reopening and working the cold case with her partner; but Maggie is determined to get to the truth about what happened 25 years earlier.

But clearly, it won't be easy. For one thing, she must deal with Eve's sister Nola - considered by many to be, shall I say, mentally unbalanced back then, possibly even dangerous. These days, she's a veterinarian who specializes in large animals, and she's got her own ideas about who Eve's murderer is as well as what should be done about it. Knowing what the woman is capable of, though, Maggie has the Nola at the top of her own suspect list.

There are a few others on the list, too, and it's pretty clear that Maggie herself has some secrets she'd rather not have come to light. Slowly, readers get a peek into what really led up to Eve's murder - and who might be willing to stop at nothing to make sure their own secrets stay hidden.  Very fast-paced and exciting right to the end - thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance copy for review. Well done!

This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf (Park Row, May 2020); 336 pp.

BLOOD RUNS COLD

3.5 stars out of 5


This is my first experience with the Detective Anna Gwynne series (the first is The Silent Girls). Like most heroines of this genre, she's competent on the job and comes with a bit of baggage from her past (think Lt. Eve Dallas of the J.D. Robb series). She's with the Bristol Police, just having returned to work after four months off as a result of serious injuries incurred, I assume, in the first book.

One of her first assignments is the years-old cold case murder of a child named Rosie Dawson, whose boiled-and-polished bones were found but not her murderer. When Blair Smearton, a young girl who is hearing impaired, goes missing now, Anna's technology team looks to the Dark Web and finds photos of both Rosie and Blair in what is almost certain to be the same room. The team's conclusion? Both were taken by the same person, no doubt a serial killer.

Hoping to find Blair before her bones meet the same fate as Rosie's, Anna and her colleagues ramp up an all-out effort. For her part, Anna turns for help to a in-prison killer named Hector Shaw, with whom she apparently has a prior and not happy relationship. Asking him for insights about how and why he killed his victims, she reasons, may be of help in locating Blair and unearthing Rosie's killer.

Interjected into the story early on is Detective Dave Woakes, a transfer from another police department who turns out to be a thorn in Anna's side. Alas, that seems to be his only purpose; he adds absolutely nothing to the story except to give Anna someone to complain about. Perhaps he's being introduced here with the intent of having him show up in a future installment, but otherwise, he's worthless.

Anna's investigation also puts her in contact with Dr. Hawley, an ER physician who was questioned and narrowly escaped being charged for Rosie's murder simply because he "allowed" the child, who has Down Syndrome, to climb on his lap and give him a smooch when he soothed her earache during an ER visit. Anna's confidence in the doctor's innocence, however, isn't shared by other members of her team. So who's right? 

The answer to that doesn't come till late in the book (and no, I'm not going to reveal that information, nor whether or not the team gets to Blair in time to save her life). I will say that the end result, when it comes, seems a bit rushed; at the very least, I'd like to have had a little more detail about the abductor's background (one incident from his or her past, though reprehensible, does not necessarily a serial killer make).

Overall, my opinion is that this is well worth taking to a summer beach or on a longer airplane trip - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. It's got reasonably likable characters, a touch of modern technology to keep it timely and enough suspense to hold interest throughout. Honestly, other than the inclusion of that totally disposable Woakes character, my main issue with this book is the intended-to-tantalize subtitle: "A completely unputdownable mystery and suspense thriller." It's a mystery, yes, but the rest of that description? Sorry - not even close. 

Blood Runs Cold by Dylan Young (Bookouture, May 2018); 304 pp.

THINK OF THE CHILDREN

4 stars out of 5


This is the fourth book in the author's series featuring Detective Sergeant Jessica Daniel, who has lived in Manchester for about 10 years and works at the Longsight Police Station. I had no problem following the story as a standalone, but at the same time, hints here and there made me think I'd have enjoyed it more had I started at the beginning (something that's true of most series, IMHO, so I'm not picking on this one in particular). It's fast-paced with an attention-getting plot, and I thank the publisher for the opportunity to read it in exchange for an honest review.

On her way to work one day not long before Christmas, Jessica witnesses an horrific car crash in which the driver is killed. In the boot (trunk), she finds the dead body of a young boy wrapped in plastic. Neither is readily identifiable (and the driver ain't talking), so she follows rather sketchy clues that lead to child's clothing buried in a remote spot. It turns out the boy has been reported missing and gets a name; but then other clues lead to a shed in a plot of rentable sheds where a list of children's names is found with the trunk occupant's at the top.

Problem is, there's no apparent connection among any of the children's names. So when another one on the list goes missing, Jessica and her police cohorts find themselves scurrying to get to the bottom of things before yet another one disappears. Learning the car driver's identity helps a little, but even then, progress seems to be moving at a snail's pace - especially since whoever's been taking children may have started well over a decade ago.

Meantime, Jessica must grapple with personal issues like a former boyfriend (one instance, I suppose, where reading previous books might have provided a bit more insight) and an intense dislike of Christmas - the only more objectionable holiday, it seems, is New Year's. But this time, the new year may bring a bit of much-needed closure to everyone involved. All in all, a satisfying read - and another solid series to add to my ever-growing list. Bring 'em on!

Think of the Children by Kerry Wilkinson (Bookouture, January 2017); 274 pp.