Thrill Kill

Bruns brings the chaotic frenzy of Mardi Gras to life in his second novel featuring New Orleans homicide detective Quentin Archer (after 2016’s Casting Bones). Spray canisters of Chill, a gas that instantly cools down bottles of wine as well as providing a quick high when inhaled, are found under the bodies of three seemingly random murder victims. The pressure is on Archer and his partner, Josh Levy, to find out what the common denominator is before another person ends up dead. The case meanders along, with false starts and a dearth of clues, until Archer calls on his small collection of friends/informers: Mike, the gregarious bartender; Alexia Chantel, a former pharmacist turned stripper; and Solange Corday, the beautiful psychic and voodoo practitioner with whom Quentin is smitten. What starts out as a search for a serial killer loops into something even bigger, more sinister, and far-reaching. Those expecting some really creepy voodoo will have to settle for a little lackluster black magic. Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. (June)