It All Falls Down

In Canadian author Kamal’s disappointing sequel to 2017’s The Lost Ones, danger looms when a mysterious stranger approaches Vancouver research assistant Nora Watts—who barely survived her last case, involving the kidnapping of the now-teenage daughter she gave up for adoption at birth. The man claims to have served with her late father, Sam Watts, as a Marine in Lebanon and hints that there might be more to learn about his suicide. Soon Nora is headed for her father’s hometown of Detroit, where her initial inquiries uncover little about Sam, but do offer a tantalizing lead about someone else—the mother whose face she has never even seen. Meanwhile, back on the other side of the border, Nora’s frenemy, PI Jon Brazuca, is also swimming into treacherous waters as he investigates an ostensibly unrelated case: the death by overdose of a billionaire’s pregnant mistress. Kamal demonstrates a knack for putting her kick-ass heroine in harm’s way, repeatedly, but unfortunately shows considerably less skill at crafting a coherent plot. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency. (July)