Devil in the Detail

March 1, 2021
A crime run in the West Midlands of England culminates in a murder that leaves the police scrambling when the clues don't add up. A series of six attacks on cars in Birmingham escalates when the latest victim is shot and her husband killed. Molly and Michael Lawrence were over the moon in their determination to share their joy about Molly's pregnancy with their family, but on their way back home, something goes terribly wrong when their Mercedes is attacked in what looks like a carjacking turned bad. Molly, disoriented by the attack, remembers few details when Police Constable Chloe Judd interviews her at the hospital. DI Bernard Watts, who wants to balance being sensitive to Molly with solving a case that's now being played up by media outlets, suggests bringing in criminologist Dr. Will Traynor to help make sense of the crime. Watts knows that his boss, Superintendent Brophy, is reluctant to have Traynor on the case, but what choice does he have when the clues about Michael's murder seem inconsistent with the pattern of the earlier attacks? Sure enough, Traynor's insights lead the department to a conclusion far more sinister than any of the characters had imagined, though canny readers will have guessed it early on. Though the absence of twists may disappoint seasoned fans, all can share the fun of watching the detectives get there.

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March 29, 2021
In British author Cross’s workmanlike sequel to 2019’s Dark Truths, the Birmingham police consult criminologist Will Traynor after a series of carjackings turn deadly. The city has been hit by six such crimes in less than a month; in each case, the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light before the passenger window was smashed so that the robber could steal the victim’s car. The crime wave has already landed on the plate of Det. Insp. Bernard Watts, but the pressure ratchets up after a couple, Michael and Molly Lawrence, are both shot in their car. Michael, an interior designer, dies in hospital, and the seriously injured Molly, who’s pregnant, can’t remember exactly what happened. Traynor doubts that the attack on the Lawrences is the work of the same criminal or criminals responsible for the earlier carjackings. The investigation proceeds along predictable lines, and Cross leaves little doubt as to whether her lead’s theory will be vindicated. Readers looking for novelty or depth will be disappointed. Agent: Camilla Bolton, Darley Anderson Literary (U.K.).

May 1, 2021
DI Bernard Watts faces one of the most challenging cases of his long career as a cop when husband and wife Mike and Molly Lawrence are robbed, shot, and left for dead in their car in a dangerous area of London. There are no witnesses, and it's a mystery why the couple were in that deserted part of town. Under pressure from the brass to solve the case, Watts enlists the help of profiler and trauma specialist Dr. Will Traynor. Pushing his mostly young and inexperienced team, Watts follows lead after tenuous lead, trusting his instinct plus input from Traynor and police recruit Chloe Judd. The case is full of bizarre turns and tantalizing red herrings, and its conclusion shocks even seasoned veteran Watts. Readers will find themselves warming to Watts, Traynor, and Judd in this clever and absorbing roller-coaster ride of a procedural, and the authentic-seeming depiction of modern policing, along with a devastating conclusion, makes it a gripping and entertaining read for fans of British procedurals.

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