Cold Light of Day

In this first installment of the Missing in Alaska series, Goddard (Perilous Security Detail) weaves a gripping mystery set in southeast Alaska. Autumn Long, police chief of Shadow Gap, is dealing with a crime wave—murders, a missing woman—that’s undermining public confidence in her leadership and imperiling her job. Soon she meets town newcomer Grier Brennan, who is evasive about his background, and while this isn’t unusual (“People often came to Alaska to start fresh or disappear,” she acknowledges), Autumn wonders if he’s hiding something. Grier has his own reasons for keeping under the radar but can’t avoid getting tangled up in the town’s goings-on, as he crosses paths with Autumn and an attraction builds that feels almost fated by God. As the body count rises, Autumn and Grier join to track down the killer, who may have a link to their own pasts. The Alaskan wilderness is a character all its own, and Goddard expertly ratchets up suspense as Autumn and Grier look for the killer. Readers will be eager for the next in the series. (Feb.)