The Major Crimes Team, Vol. 1: Lines of Enquiry

Serving up a rather bland appetizer for a projected series, Smith’s debut collection of five short stories introduces members of the Cumbria Major Crimes team: impulsive and intuitive Det. Inspector Harry Evans, obese computer whiz Det. Sgt. Neil Chisholm, beautiful borderline-exhibitionist Det. Constable Lauren Phillips, and earnest newbie Det. Constable Amir Bhaki—plus new, by-the-book commander Det. Insp. John Campbell, formerly of Police Scotland. Each of them is handed a puzzle to solve and does so efficiently enough, but the extreme shortness of each tale allows little room for plot twists that would reveal more of the characters’ ability to cope with unexpected complications. That might have opened up the characters as individuals, and it might have made prospective readers curious about how the team could interact in a full-length novel. Based on this slim sample, it’s hard to say. (Feb.)