The Girl in the Smoke

Hilton (the Grey & Villere series) grabs readers from the outset of this superior standalone thriller. After a car’s collision with a fuel truck on a British highway causes multiple fatalities and a fast-moving fire, a stranger rescues five-year-old Danni from the wreck. Danni’s mother, who was driving the car that collided with the truck, died in the explosion and was burned too severely to be identified. When no one came forward to claim an amnesia-stricken Danni, she was adopted by book editor Josie Lockwood. The mystery of Danni’s past is revived when, three years after the accident, strange men force their way into Josie’s home at gunpoint and abduct her and Danni, peppering the two with questions about Danni’s mother, including her name and the people she socialized with. The kidnapping follows the possibly linked killing of the man who saved Danni from the fire. To avoid the same fate, Josie must race against the clock to help Danni try to recover her memories of her life before the accident. Meanwhile, Josie’s sister sets out to find the pair herself after she’s warned that their captors will kill them if she goes to the police. Hilton doesn’t let the breakneck pacing or plot zigzags preclude in-depth characterizations. Lisa Unger fans will want to check this out. (Feb.)