Dark Night

In bestseller Shelton’s pedestrian third mystery featuring thriller writer Beth Rivers (after 2020’s Cold Wind), Beth has found refuge working and living at a halfway house for low-level female felons in isolated Benedict, Alaska, where only the sheriff, Gril Samuels, knows her identity as author Elizabeth Fairchild. Seven months earlier, Beth fled St. Louis after escaping from Travis Walker, who kidnapped her and then tortured her for three days. The residents of Benedict resent personal questions, especially those from Doug Vitner, the newly arrived “census man.” Doug goes missing shortly after a local, known for being a domestic abuser, is found murdered. While helping Gril with the case, Beth learns that her mother, Mill Rivers, will soon arrive. Beth worries that if Mill, who has been in hiding for months because she’s wanted by the police, has discovered her location, Travis may be able to find her. Uninspired coincidences fuel the saggy plot, though the vivid Alaskan landscape and Gus, a smart sled dog, add some appeal. The third time is not the charm. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds. (Dec.)