A Good Death: A D.I. Tom Mariner Mystery

Fully-fledged female characters distinguish Collett’s eighth police procedural featuring Det. Insp. Tom Mariner, a Birmingham, England, police officer (after 2015’s Dead of Night). In particular, the women of the Shah family stand out as they face discrimination and deal with family needs that their male counterparts can just ignore (or leave to stay-at-home wives or mothers). The focus, though, is on Mariner, a thoughtful, observant man who struggles to do the right thing for his friends, colleagues, and lovers. The reader follows him with interest as he and his team investigate two very different crimes—a death by arson and the case of a man who has gone missing just two weeks before his wedding. The motives are initially unclear: is the arson the result of a hate crime against the Shah family, or is there something even more sinister behind it? Has the future bridegroom met with foul play, or has he simply run away from the prospect of a stifling marriage? Mariner uncovers some surprising truths. (Feb.)