Duplicity

Toxic family secrets again threaten Fina Ludlow’s future in Thoft’s desultory fourth outing for the usually dynamic Boston PI (last seen in 2015’s Shamus Award–winning Brutality). As the fiercely independent Fiona tries to figure out whether to make a deeper commitment to police detective Cristian Menendez, a single dad, she’s distracted by the return of her black sheep big brother, Rand, who sexually abused his teenage daughter, Haley. Meanwhile, paterfamilias Carl Ludlow, who runs the powerhouse personal-injury firm that employs Fina as an investigator and her siblings as lawyers, seems far less concerned about Haley’s precarious well-being than a case centered on the born-again evangelical Covenant Rising Church, with which the daughter of a very old flame of his has become deeply involved. Very little of what Fina starts to uncover about luxe-loving Pastor Greg Gatchell and his wife, Gabby, comes as much of a surprise, and the rising levels of menace and mayhem, including a church insider’s murder, all prove less than compelling. Agent: Kari Stuart, ICM. (Jan.)

This review has been updated with correct agent information.