A Game of Minds

British author Masters’s gripping third Claire Roget mystery (after 2018’s The Deceiver) centers on Jonah Kobi (aka the School Girl Killer), who was sentenced to life in prison after confessing to murdering three girls between 2012 and 2015. In 2013, a fourth girl, Marvel Trustrom, went missing and is presumed dead. Now, several years later, Marvel’s dying father, Tom, has a last wish—that Jonah admit his guilt and reveal the location of Marvel’s body. The Stoke-on-Trent police ask forensic psychiatrist Claire to persuade Jonah to confess. A game of wits ensues as Jonah toys with Claire and drags her deep into his dark world. Jonah swears he had no part in Marvel’s disappearance, yet he knows details the police never revealed. With time running out for Tom, the suspense rises as Claire digs through old police reports, interviews the families of each victim, and comes closer to the truth. Masters does a good job of planting clues that point to the unusual twist at the end. Silence of the Lambs fans will want to check this out. Agent: Juliet Burton, Juliet Burton Literary (U.K.). (Jan.)