cover image Dead to Me

Dead to Me

Cath Staincliffe. Minotaur, $25.99 (400p) ISBN 978-1-250-03854-8

Mystery fans who value female bonding will best appreciate this prequel to the U.K.’s Bailey & Scott TV series (the rough equivalent of the U.S.’s Cagney & Lacey). Manchester Constable Rachel Bailey’s insistence on procedure—she demands that a superior, Det. Chief Insp. Gill Murray, produce ID before entering a crime scene—proves, surprisingly, to be a good career move. Three weeks later, Murray calls to offer Bailey a spot on her homicide squad. The newbie teams with Janet Scott, with whom she has the predictable preliminary personality conflicts. Even those unaware that the pair will partner in the TV series can see where all this is headed. On their first joint case, Bailey and Scott investigate the murder of 17-year-old Lisa Finn, found stabbed to death in her apartment. Amid the standard police work, with time-outs for the principals to deal with various personal issues, Staincliffe breaks no new ground. Agent: Sarah Menguc, Sarah Menguc Literary Agency (U.K.). (Jan.)