Instinct: A Henry Christie Mystery

Oldham’s solid 17th Henry Christie mystery (after 2011’s Facing Justice) finds the Lancashire detective superintendent living with his 23-year-old daughter and a new love interest way too soon in his mind after the death of his wife—even though, during their rocky time together, Henry had enjoyed other love affairs. Amid this emotional turmoil, Henry looks into the brutal murder of college student Natalie Philips. While the most obvious suspect is her boyfriend, Natalie had taken a recent shine to characters more generally profiled as Islamic terrorists. Henry’s friend of a dozen years, former FBI man Karl Donaldson, works the terrorist angle. The complex plot thickens as investigations lead to a one-time narcotics detective out of Blackpool, Steve Flynn, whom Henry had drummed out of the force, as well as constable and sex offender Paul Driver, who comes out of nowhere to make a startling confession. Despite the muted tone, Oldham keeps readers on edge through the local and international mayhem. (May)