Shattered Sanctuary

This tense series opener from Mehl (Cold Vengeance) pits an ex-cop turned mystery novelist, a former FBI agent, and a small-town police chief against an elusive serial killer. Ever since losing her partner (and lover) in a gang shooting, former St. Louis police officer Erin Delaney has been depressed, guilt-ridden, and haunted by nightmares. Not even writing a bestselling novel managed to get her out of her funk. So when her friend Kaely, a former FBI behavioral analyst who consulted on Erin’s book, suggests the pair meet at a cabin in the Smoky Mountains for a restorative week away, she agrees. But Erin barely has time to settle in before local police chief Adrian Nightengale seeks her help in assessing a gruesome crime scene, which Erin suspects is the work of serial killer. After Kaely arrives, she and Erin begin to work on a profile of the killer for the police. As the bodies pile up and the pair struggle to uncover the links between victims, they also draw on their faith to unpack Erin’s trauma, which leads them to a breakthrough in the case—though they fear it may be too late to keep them out of the killer’s crosshairs. The novel’s dual story lines—the search for the killer and the processing of Erin’s trauma—are each engrossing. Unfortunately, Mehl doesn’t always toggle between them seamlessly, resulting in some abrupt character development. Still, readers willing to overlook those flaws will have fun. (Mar.)