cover image Hot Seat

Hot Seat

Simon Wood. Severn/Crème de la Crime, $28.95 (240p) ISBN 978-1-78029-023-2

At the start of Wood’s solid second racecar mystery (after 2011’s Did Not Finish), 21-year-old driver Aidy Westlake, who’s pleased to have won a spot on Ragged Racing’s European Saloon Car Championship team, is dismayed to discover mechanic Jason Gates with his throat cut underneath a vehicle at the annual motorsport show held at London’s Earls Court. First, Det. Insp. Joan Huston treats him like a suspect, then Jason’s beefy brother, Andrew, knocks him around and demands Aidy identify the killer. Between trying to please racing owner Richard “Rags” Ragsdale and learning to work with his new pit crew and car, Aidy tries to do a little investigating, but soon finds himself facing trumped up charges of dangerous driving. Professional jealousies, possible drug smuggling, and race-fixing provide motives and suspects. Racing scenes enliven the action as Aidy tries to extricate himself from trouble by trapping a killer. Agent: Amy Rennert, the Amy Rennert Agency. (July)