Forgotten Voices: A Rina Martin Mystery

In Adams’s absorbing seventh mystery featuring no-longer-retired actress Rina Martin (after 2012’s Cause of Death), Rina comes home to quiet Frantham, England, after filming a new TV series, only to hear a “nasty piece of news” on the radio. Someone blasted widowed Ellen Tailor in the face with a shotgun at her remote farmhouse, where her two school-age children found her body in the kitchen. Det. Insp. Sebastian “Mac” MacGregor, Rina’s policeman friend, has few clues to go on. Given the isolation of the farmhouse, it’s unsurprising that no one saw or heard anything. Nothing was stolen, and none of the people Mac and his team interview has an obvious motive for killing the outwardly blameless Ellen. Rina, who does her own sleuthing, focuses on some accidental deaths that could be related to the murder. A cast of engaging characters and a number of unexpected plot twists make this one of the stronger entries in the series. (Oct.)