The Divinities

February 15, 2020
A new investigative odd couple probes a strange killing at a construction site in London's Battersea neighborhood. Veteran detective Calil Drake would never have expected to be called to a scene as unlikely as the upscale development Magnolia Quays. But it's there that a pair of bodies have been found at the bottom of a pit, partially covered with rocks. One of them appears to be that of Marsha Thwaite, a gallery owner whose husband is the developer. Howard Thwaite takes the news stoically, curious mainly about the manner of his wife's death. Dr. Rayhana Crane is a forensic psychologist assigned to the case. Drake's reputed volatility and the reserved Crane's inexperience as a forensic investigator make their partnership proceed uneasily. The second victim is identified as Tei Hideo, a middle-aged French widower born in Japan. His daughter, Yuko, confirms that he was an artist. The motive and mechanics of the killing remain unclear. Adultery is one theory; after all, stoning is the punishment for adulterers in some cultures. Drake's sidekick, Kelly, also uncovers evidence of kickbacks on the construction project involving creepy Mr. Cricket. As pieces of the puzzle come together with the aid of CCTV, witness testimony, and forensic analysis, Bilal rounds out the characters of his two leads with chapters about their histories. Drake's compulsion to investigate the torching of a mosque in the neighborhood where he grew up brings him unexpectedly closer to an understanding of Crane's past and her personality. While Drake fills in the backgrounds of the two victims, Crane clarifies the timeline and details of the murder, leading to success for the sleuths and the author of the popular Makana Mysteries series (Dark Water, 2017, etc.). Bilal's sure-footed storytelling and nuanced sense of character augur well for this new series.

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February 24, 2020
This impressive series launch from Bilal (the Makana series) introduces Det. Sgt. Cal Drake and forensic psychologist Rayhana “Ray” Crane. Iraqi war veteran Cal returns to London and joins the police, where he swiftly rises in the ranks. He’s demoted after a team leader accuses him of corruptly compromising an undercover investigation. Meanwhile, Ray’s job counseling former ISIS fighters tanks after one of her patients appears at a shopping mall wearing a suicide vest. Cal and Ray eagerly seize the chance to resurrect their respective careers after they’re asked to look into the case of a man and woman found wrapped in shrouds, bound with duct tape, and buried alive by a ton of stones on a construction site. To succeed, they must determine what linked the two victims and why the killer chose this manner of execution, which replicates a sharia law ritual killing. The arson of a mosque near the construction site leads Cal to suspect that arson and murder are related. Bilal maintains the suspense throughout. Readers will want to see more of Ray and Cal. Agent: Euan Thorneycroft, A.M. Heath (U.K.).