In Smith's solid if unflashy seventh police procedural to feature Det. Chief Insp. Neil Paget (after 2008's Breaking Point
), Paget looks into a series of unsolved burglaries that have baffled the authorities in Broadminster. Before Paget can make much headway, someone bludgeons to death Laura Holbrook, co-owner of an engineering company, in the course of a break-in. When the victim's husband, Simon, acts suspiciously soon after getting the tragic news, Paget and his team begin to examine the possibility that Laura's murder was planned. There's no shortage of possible killers, including Laura's sister, who had her sights set on Simon, and Simon's attractive assistant, who was displaced when Laura joined the company. Another murder narrows the field a bit, but puts added pressure on the police to close the case. While many readers will identify whodunit before the inspector does, clean prose and credible characterizations keep the action moving smoothly to the end. (Apr.)
