When All the Girls Have Gone

With this slow-paced book, Krentz (Secret Sisters) launches a romantic suspense series set in Seattle, where Max Cutler, a former profiler turned PI, moved to start his life over after burning out on the job. While investigating the mysterious death of Louise Flint, who belonged to a women’s investment club, he encounters Charlotte Sawyer, whose stepsister, Jocelyn, another investor, also disappeared. Working together, they hope to both find Jocelyn and identify the culprit behind a decade-long rape and killing spree that started with a violent assault on Jocelyn while she was in college. The suspense story suffers from Krentz spending too much text introducing investment-club members in lieu of building ties between Charlotte and Max. It’s also a setup for future books featuring Max’s foster brothers, all of whom have a collective score to settle. Fortunately, the suspense picks up when Max and Charlotte realize they need to trust each other and work in close proximity to bring down the privileged villain. (Dec.)