Sweet Taste of Revenge

Ellis’s jumbled sequel to 2018’s Hiding in Plain Sight finds fledgling private eye Kate Weller leaving Charleston, S.C., having broken up with her chef boyfriend, Eric Manfredi, “a very tall, dark, and handsome man... who respected the elderly, was kind to animals, and knew how to make a woman feel like a queen.” She and her fellow detective, Beth Kirby, “the only woman who packed heat while wearing a girly dress, high heels, and a big hat,” head to Pensacola, Fla., where Kate plans on visiting her incarcerated brother, with whom she hasn’t spoken in the 16 years since he was found guilty of armed robbery. She and Beth are also investigating the death of wealthy Agnes Westin, at the request of the woman’s daughter, who has little faith in the abilities of the local police. In addition, Kate is trying to determine the identity of the man who has been stalking her for years. Then Eric arrives in Pensacola to rekindle their romance. The narrative skips jerkily from one plotline to another toward its foregone conclusion. Some readers may not look forward to Kate’s next outing. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Feb.)