Seven Girls Gone

Bestseller Brennan’s overloaded fourth Costa and Quinn novel (after 2022’s The Wrong Victim) takes FBI special agent Matt Costa, head of the agency’s Mobile Response Team, and LAPD officer Kara Quinn to Broussard Parish, the heart of the Louisiana bayou, at the request of Beau Hebert, a small-town police detective. Seven young women have gone missing in recent years. Of those whose bodies have been found, one has been stabbed to death and four asphyxiated. All had drugs in their system. Beau’s investigation has been stymied by a corrupt police chief, and his only hope of bringing the women’s killer to justice lies with the MRT unit. The many moving parts of the plot, which include a plethora of suspects, a wide assortment of crimes, and an encounter or two with gators in the swamp, collide in a heap of a finale. Meanwhile, the personal relationship between Costa and Quinn continues to creep forward at a snail’s pace. Will Quinn continue to resist admitting a romantic commitment? Romantic suspense fans will want to stay tuned to find out. Agent: Daniel Conaway, Writers House. (Apr.)