One Blood

Kent’s second mystery set in the Solomon Islands in 1960 (after 2011’s Devil-Devil) will appeal to history buffs and those fond of exotic locales. During the open day held by the Marakosi Mission for villagers from the surrounding islands, Sister Conchita encounters a frightened American tourist, Ed Blamire, who has sought refuge in the mission church. Soon afterward, Blamire’s body turns up on a ceremonial bonfire that’s been prematurely set ablaze. A distraught Conchita vows to discover the cause of his death. Meanwhile, police sergeant Ben Kella investigates sabotage at a logging operation near where then naval lieutenant John Kennedy spent the night after the sinking of PT109 in 1943. Only after Conchita and Kella survive separate attempts on their lives do they suspect their cases are linked through the sins of the present and not-so-distant past. The Solomons, then a British protectorate, come fully alive in this absorbing adventure. (Feb.)