The Death of Us

A car accident revives a dormant small-town mystery in this unsteady thriller from Rader-Day (Death at Greenway). High school guidance counselor Liss Kehoe has centered her life on Callan, the boy she’s raised for 15 years, ever since his birth mother (and Liss’s former classmate) Ashley Hay brought him to Liss’s doorstep as an infant. After leaving Callan with Liss, Ashley disappeared, and Liss constantly worries she might one day return out of the blue. One afternoon, Callan and his friends crash their car into a water-filled quarry abutting Liss’s home, and as they extricate themselves from the wreckage, they spot another vehicle submerged in the water. When the authorities arrive, Ashley’s bludgeoned remains are retrieved from the second automobile. Evidence of murder casts suspicion on people close to Liss, including her estranged husband Link, whose father, Key, was the town marshal when Ashley vanished. The investigation gets messy for Key’s successor, Mercer Alarie, who’s been romantically involved with Liss since her separation. Rader-Day maintains suspense by cycling through several characters’ perspectives, including that of Key, who has been afflicted with a neurological illness that constrains his ability to communicate with the outside world. Unfortunately, it all culminates in an unsatisfying climax, squandering the strong characterizations and intriguing plot. Rader-Day has done much better before. Agent: Sharon Bowers, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)