Redzone

The intrigue intensifies for Cassandra Lee, a detective in the LAPD’s Special Investigative Section, in this sharp sequel to Deadeye. In the 2060s, America is recovering from a mutation-inducing plague. Cass is still hunting the Bonebreaker, a serial killer who murdered her father, and now that she’s heading the investigation, she’s a potential victim herself. Responding to a letter from her mother, who abandoned her at age two, Cass is drawn into the mutant-infested “red zone” of L.A., where she learns about drama involving the stepfamily she’s never known. When a copycat killer begins mimicking the Bonebreaker’s ghoulish style, Cass gets help hunting him down from the most unlikely assistant. Science fiction flourishes notwithstanding, the novel tracks as a straight crime thriller. Its brisk pacing and suspenseful twists will suck in readers, who will eagerly await the revelation of the Bonebreaker’s identity in a future book. Agent: JABberwocky Agency. (July)