In British author Bannister's absorbing eighth Brodie Farrell mystery (after 2007's Flawed
), Farrell continues to juggle the two men in her life: Det. Supt. Jack Deacon of the Dimmock police, who's the father of her young son, and Daniel Hood, the lovelorn math teacher who helps run Looking for Something? Farrell's “finding” agency. The murder of Joe Loomis—pimp, drug dealer, racketeer—is almost cause for celebration until the victim's dying utterance results in Deacon's removal from the case. When the investigation uncovers a suspected terrorist plot with Dimmock as the unlikely target, the focus shifts to preventing panic by foiling the terrorists. Farrell also becomes embroiled in the hunt for Loomis's killer. Bannister's portrayal of the town's response to a possible attack shows how easily mistrust can mushroom into violence. Readers will relish Bannister's well-plotted solution and the revelation of unexpected depths and facets in her series characters. (Aug.)
