P
arrish uses his last, stunning Louis Kincaid novel (2006's An Unquiet Grave
) as a jumping-off point for Kincaid's lover Joe Frye, the lone female homicide detective in the Miami-Dade Police Department. Told in flashback, Frye recounts her investigation of serial murders 13 years earlier, in 1975. Frye's uneventful rookie year in the Leelanau County, Mich., sheriff's department undergoes a drastic change with the discovery of human bones in the woods of Echo Bay. Soon, the discovery of more bones and a multitude of artifacts point police to the conclusion that the remains belong to more than one victim. Mysterious Native American glyphs carved into a tree nearby provide the lead Frye needs—if only she could decipher where they're taking her. Even after the clues fall carefully into place, revealing the killer's identity and pushing Frye into his sights, the book continues to sizzle with taut suspense and the promise of a tumultuous conclusion. Keen attention to detail and thorough character development get equal billing with scintillating thrills, giving Parrish another top-notch whodunit that just may leave fans thinking, “Louis who?” (July)
