Stalked by Shadows

Clever plotting and brilliant characterization fill the satisfying fifth DI Mariner investigation (after 2007's Blood Money). Newlywed Lucy Jarrett begins receiving malicious e-mails, mysterious hangups, and multiple pieces of junk mail that she didn't ask for; she's soon afraid to be alone, but her husband doesn't seem to care. Nina Silvado, a well-respected ballet instructor and widow of a police inspector who died under mysterious circumstances, is found dead in her home, the victim of a gruesome murder staged to look like a suicide. DI Tom Mariner and DC Millie Khatoon are assigned to the apparently unrelated cases, and as clues come to light, so does a connection. With humanizing looks into the lives of the main characters and devilishly clever plot twists and turns, Collett knows just how to keep police procedural fans happy. (July)