Persons Unknown

Starred review from May 8, 2017
Det. Insp. Manon Bradshaw is back in Steiner’s stellar sequel to 2016’s Missing, Presumed. Although she’s officially assigned to missing persons cases, Manon couldn’t be more interested in the inquiry into the stabbing murder of London wealth manager Jon-Oliver Ross, given the case’s personal ties to her family. After her brief stint in London, during which she adopted her 12-year-old son, Fly Dent, Manon decided to return home to Cambridgeshire, much to Fly’s dismay; he hates being the only black boy in a predominantly white village. Racial profiling is everywhere; Fly soon becomes the prime—and only—suspect in the murder of Ross, who came to Cambridgeshire to visit his ex-girlfriend and son—Manon’s sister, Ellie, and nearly three-year-old nephew, Solomon. Manon’s old team, including her former underling, the recently promoted Det. Sgt. Davy Walker, seem quick to jump to conclusions and align the evidence so that it points to Fly as the culprit. Steiner grapples with serious social justice issues in a darkly humorous crime novel not to be missed. Agent: Eleanor Jackson, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

Detective Manon Bradshaw accepts a less-than-perfect job investigating cold cases outside London in an attempt to protect her adopted son, who is under suspicion for murder, from malign influences. Narrator Juanita McMahon excels in portraying the realism of the characters. Especially notable is her sensitive portrayal of Manon, a complex woman who experiences frustrations with her job, uncertainty as a single mother, and surprise at unexpected and fulfilling relationships amid her determined effort to clear her son. A combination of suspense and character development with British humor laced throughout, this audiobook is an engaging listen. L.M.A. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine