I'm so behind on reviews and have been absent from both my blogs. It wasn't an intentional or planned break, but once I got out of the habit of more regular posting, it became harder and harder to post. Here are two recent books that have cold cases at the heart.
I liked Serpentine better than the more recent installments of the Alex Delaware series. The first books were favorites, but for the last several years, the books haven't appealed to me as much. My favorite character is not Alex, but Milo Sturgis, and Serpentine felt more like some of the earlier books.
from description: Psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis search for answers to a brutal, decades-old crime in this electrifying psychological thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.
A young woman's request for an inquiry into her mother's death is dictated from Milo's superiors, and he isn't too happy about it. The case is 25 years old and records are sparse. Milo involves Alex and the two visit the young woman. Something catches their attention, and even if Milo doesn't believe anything will come of it, he gradually becomes more intrigued. And it turns out that not only was it murder, but someone is still determined to avoid exposure.
I have a weakness for Milo.
NetGalley/Random House Police Procedural/Cold Case. Feb. 4, 2021. Print length: 368 pages.
Aarev Rai's family lived in an exclusive cul de sac in New Zealand, but regardless of how much money the family had or how beautiful Aarev's mother was--family life was a battle ground.
When Aarev was sixteen, his beautiful mother disappeared and so did a quarter of a million dollars. His father believes Nina Rai left him and stole the money. Aarev can't believe his beloved mother would have left him behind.
Ten years later, Aarev is temporarily back home after an accident, and Nina Rai's remains are found.
Nina was not a perfect mother and several people had reason to hate her, but Aarev has to know what happened and who was responsible even if....
An unreliable narrator, good writing, and a little outside the usual formulaic pattern all worked to keep me turning the pages.
NetGalley/Berkley Publishing
Crime. Feb. 23, 2021. Print length: 384 pages.