The Widowmaker

At first glance, straight-arrow police officer Ryan Hudson, whose former patrol partner has just been fatally shot during a convenience store stickup, and goth photographer Morgan Mori, a traumatized eyewitness, have little in common besides the bad luck to be living in crime-infested Black Harbor, Wis., the gritty setting for this intriguing if flawed thriller from Morrissey (Hello, Transcriber). But as guilt-ridden Ryan pursues his own unofficial investigation, gradually breaking through the defenses Morgan has built up as a survivor of childhood abuse, the pair prove surprisingly sympatico. Maybe it has something to do with the scars both bear from their deeply dysfunctional families, or the secrets that could get one bounced from the force and put the other behind bars. As their bond blooms into friendship, Ryan comes to realize that Morgan may unwittingly hold the key to not only his partner’s murder but also the town’s most high-profile cold case: the disappearance 20 years earlier of wealthy mogul Clive Reynolds. Morrissey skillfully interweaves these twisty plot strands, even as some developments strain credulity. Nonetheless, readers will be eager to see what further mysteries Black Harbor may harbor. Agent: Sharon Pelletier, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Dec.)