Jacquot and the Waterman

British travel editor O'Brien makes an impressive debut with a gritty procedural set in the south of France. Chief Insp. Daniel Jacquot faces a baffling series of murders—the victims are all women who've been sexually assaulted and left in water. The killer's m.o. leads the press to dub him the Waterman. Under pressure to produce a speedy solution, Jacquot pursues inquiries that lead to several violent underworld figures, as well as to members of Marseilles's social elite. The author skillfully raises the tension by alternating his narrative perspective. The number of coincidences may strain credibility for some, but for most readers the biggest letdown will be in the identity of the Waterman, who's detected almost as an afterthought and primarily through the efforts of someone other than Jacquot. Hopefully, O'Brien, who clearly has the talent to do a better plotting job, will allow his canny hero to take a bigger role in catching the villain next time. (Jan.)