Traces of Guilt

Launching a contemporary series, Henderson (Full Disclosure) introduces Evie Blackwell, a state cop tentatively being considered for a new governor's unsolved crimes task force. Evie begins with two Carin County, Ill., cases: a missing local sheriff's deputy and his family, and the case of a six-year old girl who goes missing while passing through the county on a family vacation. She teams with Gabriel Thane, the current local sheriff, whose father, Caleb, was sheriff at the time the disappearances occurred. With the exception of 10 pages encompassing a tedious interview with the missing family's counselor, Evie and Gabriel move quickly through leads and possibilities, enlisting help from Gabriel's two brothers and Caleb. Henderson's well-developed cast of supporting characters includes a few recognizable names from her previous novels. Romantic possibilities are raised, but Evie seems to be more concerned with overcoming doubts in a man's profession than she is with the man. Henderson treads very lightly in the faith department, keeping the investigations of the cold cases the focus of the story. Leaving as many mysteries in limbo as solved, Henderson ends this story with plenty of fodder for future installments. (May)