The Price of Innocence

Romance comes to Theresa MacLean for the first time since her fiancé’s death, in Black’s satisfying sixth mystery featuring the Cleveland forensic scientist (after Blunt Impact). From the moment Theresa meets David Madison she’s captivated. That the feeling appears to be mutual, though, only serves to make the savvy crime fighter suspicious. Questions plague her. How does he know the murder victim at whose funeral they meet? Is David connected to a 25-year-old fire in Cleveland State University student housing—a fire that’s somehow connected to a series of explosions she’s currently investigating? Are these explosions related to the sudden rash of untimely deaths among a group of old college friends? Everywhere she looks, Theresa sees vague links but no hard evidence. With only her gut to go on, she—and the reader—scud through a series of devilishly clever blind alleys and red herrings, some more contrived than others, until everything ties together. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary Agency. (Nov.)