Dark Truths

Set in Birmingham, England, this convoluted series launch from Cross (the Kate Hanson mysteries) introduces obsessive criminologist Will Traynor, who has never come to terms with his wife’s unsolved murder. Taking center stage is methodical Det. Insp. Bernard Watts, who was once the head of the Unsolved Crimes Unit that collaborated with forensic psychologist Kate Hanson and has been disbanded. Watts is now the senior investigative officer on the gruesome case of a decapitated jogger, whose head can’t be found. Evidence of related crimes leads Watts to ask for additional assistance, which includes Traynor, who sees connections between the newly discovered deaths and that of his wife, an opinion not shared by the rest of the team. Traynor’s erratic behavior is often more of a hindrance than a help. Despite the book’s billing as a Will Traynor mystery, readers may prefer to see more of the plodding Watts than the unstable Traynor in the sequel. [em]Agent: Camilla Wray, Darley Anderson Literary (U.K.). (Jan.) [/em]