Unthinkable

In Phillips’s exciting fourth crime novel to feature San Francisco homicide cops Kenny Marks and Jane Candiotti (after 2003’s Sacrifice), the dynamic husband-and-wife team take on a case that shakes Kenny to the very core. In a shooting at a local restaurant, six are found dead—and, to the shock of Kenny and Jane, among the dead is Kenny’s teenage nephew, Bobby. Despite their connection to one of the victims, Kenny fights to be put on the case, and Jane promises—at risk to her career—to supervise him. Their heart-pounding, personal investigation puts not only the lives of the two cops in danger but also the life of their future child. Jane’s involvement, despite her pregnancy, gives her resolve more pathos, especially as she accepts the aid of an ex-con, Edgar Silva, who seems to know something about the case. Phillips keeps readers guessing until the very end, even if, on occasion, his sense of timing feels unnaturally perfect. (Aug.)