The Burn

Edgar-finalist Kent’s harrowing sequel to 2017’s The Dime finds narcotics detective Betty Rhyzyk still recovering from her violent clash with a cultlike family of meth dealers, and her restless time on medical leave has taken a toll on her longtime girlfriend, Jackie, and their relationship. Her first day back at Dallas PD, Betty is eager to help flush out Alfonso Ruiz Zena (aka the Knife), head of the security force for Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. A brutalized body provides a clue, but Betty’s soon relegated to desk duty and ordered to see a therapist. As the bodies of drug dealers begin to pile up, the word on the street is that the shooter might be a cop, and Betty starts working her network of confidential informants for any leads on a killer who may be hiding in plain sight. The blunt, volatile, and relentlessly brave Betty leaps off the page, and Kent hits her with a frequently terrifying obstacle course of hair-raising scenarios. Readers will clamor for the irresistible Betty’s next chapter. [em]Agent: Julie Barer, Book Group. (Feb.) [/em]