Deserves to Die

June 9, 2014
Bestseller Jackson’s sixth mystery featuring Grizzly Falls, Mo., detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli of the Pinewood County Sheriff’s Dept. (after 2013’s Ready to Die) lumbers through a tiresome setup before reaching a briefly exciting finish. Anne-Marie Calderone comes to Grizzly Falls on the run from a stalker, hoping that Sheriff Dan Grayson will be able to help her. Unfortunately, Grayson has been shot and is in a coma. While Anne-Marie tries to figure out what to do, Pescoli and Alvarez deal with acting sheriff Hooper Blackwater, as well as with first one, then another Jane Doe, each found with her ring finger missing. Jackson fills space with Pescoli’s domestic problems and the convoluted relationships between Grayson’s family members, while gradually developing Anne-Marie’s story. Series fans may find some interesting developments, but new readers are unlikely to be impressed enough to continue following Pescoli and Alvarez’s adventures. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House.