Artifacts of the Dead: A DI Bob Valentine Mystery

Set in Ayr, Scotland, this brooding series launch from Black (the Rob Brennan series) introduces Det. Insp. Bob Valentine, who has just returned to work after surviving a life-threatening knife attack. Plagued by nightmares and numbing depression, Valentine has come to realize that “he remained a police officer for two reasons: because it kept his attention after all these years, and because he had passed the point where there was any other option on offer.” On his first day back, he’s called to the town dump, where the battered body of a man has been found impaled on a wooden spike. His investigation has hardly begun when another corpse is found skewered on a wooden stake. What’s the connection between the two men, and will there be more horrific deaths? While Valentine wrestles with the newfound awareness of his own mortality, his interactions with his fellow police officers distract him from his personal woes. Strong supporting characters enhance the well-paced plot. Fans of contemporary British police procedurals will be satisfied. [em]Agent: Donna Eastman, Parkeast Literary. (Sept.) [/em]