The Big Empty

Brutality and secrets animate MWA Grandmaster Crais’s solid latest case for L.A. private eye Elvis Cole and ex-Marine Joe Pike (after Racing the Light). Traci Beller, a 23-year-old influencer with 8.2 million followers, remains unwilling to accept that her father, Thomas Jacob Beller, abandoned his family 10 years earlier, so she hires Elvis to look into it. Thomas owned a heating and air-conditioning company with Traci’s uncle and disappeared while making service calls near Calabasas, Calif. Respected PI Jessica Byers—a former investigator for the L.A. County DA’s Office—has already tried and failed to find Thomas, but Traci has faith in Elvis’s methods. True to form, the strong-willed investigator examines overlooked witness statements and visits the hamburger stand where Thomas was last spotted, setting him on a trail that leads to Sadie Given, an ex-con with an emotionally disturbed daughter. Elvis taps Joe for help, and the more they uncover, the deeper they’re drawn into a complicated conspiracy that, on top of possibly explaining Thomas’s disappearance, poses an immediate threat to everyone they love. While the pace occasionally flags, unexpected twists and a high-voltage finale save the day. This will leave series fans eager for more. Agent: Aaron Priest, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Jan.)