Friday on My Mind: A Frieda Klein Mystery

Crisp prose and an intriguing main character distinguish French’s strong fifth mystery featuring London psychotherapist Frieda Klein (after 2015’s Thursday’s Child). A hospital ID band with Frieda’s name on it is found on the wrist of a man floating in the Thames with his throat cut. Asked by the police to identify the man, Frieda is stunned to discover that he’s a former lover, Sandy Holland, who harassed her for months after their breakup. Frieda suspects Dean Reeve—a man who stalked her for years—of the murder, but the police think Reeve died years ago. When additional evidence links Frieda to Holland’s murder, certain members of the police force are all too willing to believe her guilty. As the prime suspect, Klein determines the only chance of clearing her name is to disappear and search for the real culprit. A twisting series of events lead Klein to be face to face with the killer in a powerful ending. Nicci French is the pseudonym for Sean French and Nicci Gerrard, a husband-and-wife writing team. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary Agency. (Oct.)