Deceit: A Pete Thorsen Mystery

When lawyer Pete Thorsen is called on to identify the body of former girlfriend Lynn Hawke, he learns that she also holds a driver's license in the name of Laura Mati. The ensuing complications give Thorsen's inclination to sleuth a workout in this well-plotted mystery. This third installment in the series finds Thorsen embarking on a solitary investigation, as Sheriff Emory Bond regards Hawke's death as an accident. Wangard stirs the pot further with the murder of a charter boat operator, a killing that brings Thorsen into conflict with Homeland Security special agent Keegan Harris. Wangard's complex plotting is more notable for its straightforward and relentless pursuit of answers than for action pyrotechnics. Thorsen is a subdued protagonist, but his character is developed through occasional glimpses at his personal life and his acerbic friendship with dour newspaperman Harry McTigue. Capable of guile and forceful questioning, Thorsen is a solid addition to the mystery genre.