In this sequel to Zelvin's 2008 debut, Death Will Get You Sober
, the psychotherapist author fails to match the empathetic portrait of her recovering alcoholic hero, reluctant sleuth Bruce Kohler, with a captivating whodunit. New Yorker Kohler, who's been sober for almost 10 months, gets dragged into a murder investigation after drug dealer Frankie Iacone is stabbed to death in the apartment of an alcoholic, Luz, whose sponsor is Kohler's best friend's girlfriend. Since the police regard Luz as the obvious suspect, Kohler and his pals decide to try to find the real killer. Their amateurish inquiries into Iacone's drug dealing soon land them in hot water. Zelvin does a good job depicting Kohler's internal struggles, especially his ambivalence toward his ex-wife, Laura Dare, who alternates between coming on to him and blowing him off while subjecting him to late-night phone calls threatening suicide. Still, some readers might wish for more psychological depth in the Dare sections. (Oct.)
