Quicksand: A Nora Khalil Novel

This atmospheric series opener from Baugh (The View from Garden City) introduces Nora Khalil, an officer with the Philadelphia PD assigned to the FBI’s Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force. When a battle between rival gangs leads to two murders, Nora, whose parents are Egyptian, visits local mosques and uses her Arabic and knowledge of Islamic traditions in her effort to find the truth and bring the criminals to justice. The team’s only female member, Nora must also contend with sexism and racism. Baugh, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in Arabic and Islamic studies, clearly knows her Philadelphia geography and Muslim culture. Her action scenes crackle, though her character interactions tend to follow formula, as in a subplot about Nora’s overprotective father having a Big Dark Secret and the flirtation between Nora and a white colleague, Ben Calder. Still, readers will look forward to seeing more of the plucky Nora. Agent: Loretta A. Barrett, Loretta Barrett Books. (Oct.)