Burning Proof

In the second Cold Case Justice contemporary mystery (after Drawing Life), Luke Murphy, a former police officer in Long Beach, Calif., uses his past experience to get inside the mind of protagonist Abby Hart, a devoutly Christian detective who's driven to learn more about her own parents' murder. Private investigator Luke has romantic feelings for Abby that he can't shake, but he realizes love will have to wait until the cold case murder of her parents is solved. Abby's having trouble coming to terms with errors in her past, and she'll need Luke's help if she wants to get over self-doubt and find God in the mess of police work: "She tried but felt as though a barrier popped up every time she started a prayer. There was a heaviness on her soul, an oppression she didn't know how to crawl out from under." When Luke uncovers startling evidence about the potential arsonist and killer, he is torn between revealing the truth and protecting Abby. For readers who want a true portrait of police life alongside psychological and spiritual explorations of loss, Cantore's latest will be arresting. (Mar.)