Twisted at the Root

June 15, 2019
An inquiry into a miscarriage of justice links Jane Lawless' brother to a seedy crew. Four years after the murder of Gideon Wise, his husband, Rashad May, is still in prison for Gideon's death. When restaurateur/investigator Jane Lawless (A Whisper of Bones, 2014, etc.) agrees to help her father reopen the case, she doesn't expect to develop her own stake in the findings. It becomes clear to her almost immediately that Rashad had little motive to murder Gideon, but it doesn't become correspondingly clear who did until a surprise visit from Jane's brother Peter leads to a break in the case. Peter is connected to the J.H. Chenoweth Gallery, and Jane has sussed out that, apart from Rashad, the gallery provided the only other access to Gideon and Rashad's home. Peter's reluctant to help when Jane questions consultant Kit Lipton-Chenoweth, the wife of gallery owner John Henry Chenoweth. Peter's had a thing for Kit for a long time, ever since Kit was the girlfriend of Eli, Peter's former dealer and, distressingly, John Henry's son. Peter's determination to carry a torch for Kit without ruining his good name may prevent Jane from clearing Rashad's name, but the able backup of her closest and most dramatic friend, Cordelia Thorn, gives her a fighting chance at the truth. Hart uses the characters introduced in this installment of her long-running series to ramp up the creepiness.

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July 1, 2019
In MWA Grandmaster Hart’s enjoyable 26th Jane Lawless mystery (after 2018’s A Whisper of Bones), Minneapolis restaurateur and part-time PI Jane agrees to help her defense attorney father get a retrial for Rashad May, who was convicted of murdering his husband, Gideon Wise, after new evidence points to Rashad’s innocence. Shaky timelines, some conflicting evidence, and an extensive pool of suspects complicate Jane’s efforts. Unfortunately, one of those involved in the case is Jane’s troubled documentary-filmmaker brother, who suddenly shows up. As Jane angers locals with her probing questions, her sidekick, theater maven Cordelia Thorn, does her own sleuthing. Together, they track leads, ponder red herrings, and find there’s far more to Gideon’s murder than meets the eye. Another death and an attempted murder raise the stakes. A few seasoned pros may figure out whodunit before the end, but this is a quibble. Distinctive characters and solid plotting underscore the strength of this long-running series. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider Literary.

July 1, 2019

Gideon Wise and Rashad May seemed happily married until Gideon was murdered in their apartment and Rashad went to prison for his husband's death. Now, four years later, Rashad's brother claims to have new evidence and wants Rashad's former attorney, Ray Lawless, to investigate and reopen the case. Ray's daughter, restaurateur and part-time private investigator Jane Lawless, agrees to look into the cold case. Suspects include Gideon's daughter and son-in-law, as well as a family of fine-art consultants, the Chenoweths. Everyone has secrets, but Jane is shocked to discover that her brother, Peter, unexpectedly back from London, has secrets of his own involving the Chenoweth family. This intricately plotted mystery is filled with a cast of lying characters, and Jane has a complex, step-by-step investigation on her hands. Just as in life, the personal relationships are left unresolved. VERDICT Hart crafts a satisfying conclusion in her sequel to A Whisper of Bones; it's obvious why Mystery Writers of America named her a Grand Master. Fans of unreliable narrator mysteries may want to try this one, which has an entire cast of dodgy suspects. [See Prepub Alert, 2/4/19.]--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019

Four years after Luther is convicted of killing his husband, Luther's brother contacts the defense attorney, Ray Lawless, with evidence that could prove Luther's innocence. Ray asks for help from his daughter, series star Jane Lawless, but that leads to complications with her brother.

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.