Do No Harm

Pobi’s strong third Lucas Page novel (after 2020’s Under Pressure) combines an unusual lead with nail-biting suspense. Genius astrophysicist Page, who left the FBI after suffering horrific injuries, has since devoted himself to his wife, Erin, a pediatric surgeon, and their five adopted children. But his hopes of leaving his crime-solving days behind are again dashed when his attendance at a foundation’s annual charity dinner to raise money for some of New York City’s poorest hospitals leads to a shocking realization. During the dinner, a memorial slideshow presents images of doctors involved in the charity who died in the previous year. Page believes the number of such deaths—30—in such a small subgroup of the city’s population signifies foul play and begins digging. Despite official findings of accidents, natural causes, or suicides, Page is convinced the doctors were murdered, and Erin urges him to investigate when a close friend of hers, who was at the dinner, apparently hangs himself. Page gets his former FBI boss to okay an official inquiry and delves into what links the dead doctors. The artful plot twists keep readers guessing throughout. John Verdon fans will be thrilled. [em]Agent: Jill Marr, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Aug.) [/em]