A Song for the Brokenhearted

Set in 1969, British author Shaw’s superb conclusion to his crime trilogy (following 2015’s The Kings of London) finds the recently wounded Det. Sgt. Cathal “Paddy” Breen convalescing at the family farm of his former police partner, Helen Tozer, in Devon. Breen, eager to get back to police work, agrees, unofficially, to look into the murder of Helen’s 16-year-old sister, Alexandra, which occurred almost five years earlier, when it’s discovered that Alexandra had an affair with a wealthy—and married—peer of the realm. Helen and Breen uncover a plot that leads to Africa during the Kenya Emergency, a real event that involved the torture and murder of those suspected of being part of the Mau Mau uprising. Shaw picks up multiple plot threads, expertly weaving them into a complex story that explores the darkest parts of the human psyche and the erosion of one man’s humanity, while balancing the delicate and awkwardly sweet relationship between the traditional Breen and decidedly untraditional Helen, as well as her relationship with her still grieving parents. Shaw perfectly captures the end of an uneasy era, and the utterly terrifying final scene will leave readers breathless. Agent: Karolina Sutton, Curtis Brown. (Jan.)