Shadow Ridge: A Jo Wyatt Mystery

This brisk series launch from Browning (Beached as Micki Browning) finds Echo Valley, Colo., police detective Jo Wyatt at the converted garage apartment where college student Tye Horton apparently blew his head off with a shotgun. Jo, who has a bad feeling about the death, pursues the case, encouraged by Tye’s friend Quinn Kirkword and despite the disapproval of almost everyone in the police department, from the chief to her estranged husband, who’s just been unfairly promoted above her. Jo discovers that Tye was developing a potentially valuable video game that’s gone missing. Meanwhile, other young people involved in the game are dying—and the group’s sole survivor, Quinn, starts receiving a series of nasty and increasingly threatening emails. Convincing action and vivid characters make up for Jo’s credulity-stretching discovery of the murderer. Police procedural fans will look forward to seeing more of tough, smart Jo. Agent: Helen Breitwieser, Cornerstone Literary. (Oct.)