Everyone Lies

Under the Garrett pseudonym, crime writer Margaret Murphy (Now You See Me) and forensic scientist Dave Barclay take an unflinching look at two people rebuilding their lives, and at the underworld of Manchester, England, in this outstanding collaborative debut, which balances the intricacies of forensics with the cerebral instincts of crime investigation. Det. Insp. Kate Simms’s promising career derailed five years earlier when she gave forensics expert Nick Fennimore inside information about the investigation into the disappearance of his wife, Rachel, and their 10-year-old daughter, Suzie. A case involving prostitutes who have died from tainted drugs may put Kate’s career back on track. Although a suspect is arrested after a pop star’s overdose, Simms believes that the case is far from over when more women die. For help, Kate turns to Nick, who now works as a forensics lecturer at Gordon University in Aberdeen and scans age progression sites to see how his daughter may have aged. The brisk plot never strays with its complex exploration of prostitutes and crime lords and its affecting look at Kate and Nick’s complicated relationship. Agent: Felicity Blunt, Curtis Brown (U.K.). (July)