Where the Bodies Are Buried

Brookmyre (A Snowball in Hell) introduces Det. Insp. Catherine McLeod and PI Jasmine Sharp in her solid first entry in a new Glasgow crime series. In alternating chapters, perceptive Catherine looks into the murder of a drug dealer, who was a henchman of a local mobster, while inexperienced Jasmine searches for her PI uncle/boss, who went missing while working a case involving a family that disappeared decades before. Jasmine’s only lead is Glen Fallan, a professional assassin who’s rumored to have been dead for 20 years. Catherine’s police investigation and Jasmine’s hunt realistically intersect as each learns they are up against “the biggest gang in Glasgow,” and that trust, even in the police force, is a rare commodity. Corruption, betrayal, and gallows humor fuel the noir plot, while family problems lend emotional depth, in particular, Jasmine’s grief over her mother’s death and Catherine’s concern that she doesn’t spend enough time with her two sons and husband. Agent: Caroline Dawnay, United Agents. (July)