Threads of Suspicion

In this follow-up to Traces of Guilt, detective Evie Blackwell returns with some familiar friends, this time working with a new task force dedicated to solving cold missing-persons cases. She and her new partner, David, have been assigned unrelated cases in Chicago, with Evie searching for a missing college student and David hunting a private investigator who disappeared. In the meantime, personal issues arise for both of them—David’s famous longtime girlfriend may be connected to Evie’s case, and Evie is starting to feel pressure to accept her boyfriend’s marriage proposal. Henderson plays the faith card with subtlety, allowing the detectives to apply their beliefs to both their jobs and personal lives, and displays her usual keen understanding of the human psyche, delving into potential motives for murder as easily as she explores Evie’s reluctance to commit. All of these mysteries take unexpected, intriguing turns on their way to a satisfying finale that, nevertheless, leaves enough open doors to make fans eager for yet another installment. (May)