Ragged Alice

March 1, 2019

A hit-and-run homicide brings DCI Holly Craig back to Pontyrhudd, the Welsh hometown she left 15 years ago. Orphaned at an early age, Holly was raised by her grandfather, who's since died. Having fled small-town life for London, Holly returns to Wales on a transfer she initiated after blaming herself for a standoff at a school that left seven dead. The straightforward case gets complicated when the primary suspect is discovered dead and mutilated--and is the first in a series of murders. Holly is shocked when the local paper reports that her mother was killed the same way 30 years ago, which is where the story hits its first hiccup. Readers learn that Holly joined the police force because of her mother's death but never looked into the circumstances. In a pivotal flashback, a younger Holly is even taunted by the story of "Ragged Alice." Marring this work is a pervasive inattention to detail. Somehow the town mayor has been mayor for as long as anyone can remember even though he's only 54. Her grandfather's house, abandoned at least a year since his death, has a copy of yesterday's newspaper on the table. The mounting pile of mutilated corpses serves only to winnow the pool of suspects and the paranormal aspect of the story fails to elevate this muddled mystery. VERDICT Too many plot holes and inconsistencies. Not recommended.--Terry Bosky, Madison, WI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2019
Powell (Fleet of Knives, 2019) continues to stretch his genre muscles while showing the same care for characterization and storytelling in this supernatural police procedural. Detective Chief Inspector Holly Craig returns to the small coastal town in Wales from which she ran away as soon as she was old enough. It was also after an accident that gave her talents, which came in handy as she rose to uncomfortable prominence in the London police. Her first case seems simple enough, a hit-and-run. But when the driver is found murdered in a gruesome display, the case grows personal and threatens more than just her career. Powell is a rising star in sf and this novella is a gem.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)