The Good Cop

Near the start of Parks’s satisfying fourth Carter Ross mystery (after 2012’s The Girl Next Door), the Newark (N.J.) Eagle-Examiner reporter interviews Noemi Kipps, the widow of 37-year-old Newark policeman Darius Kipps, whom Noemi portrays as a dedicated cop and family man. Only later does Carter learn the cause of death—Darius committed suicide at the Fourth Precinct station. Noemi and celebrity minister Alvin LeRioux call for an independent investigation, but suddenly back off. As Carter tries to figure out if Darius was a good cop or a dirty one, a second cop’s death raises more questions. Carter milks varied sources, including a couple of brothers who operate an unusual warehouse; he fobs off a gullible intern and editor’s spy with an amusing prank; and he dodges inept gangbangers. Parks nails the newspaper milieu and the Newark setting, while his solid cast of characters should keep readers eagerly awaiting the next installment. Author tour. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House. (Mar.)