Perish

In bestseller Black’s uneven third thriller to feature Cleveland forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner (after 2017’s Unpunished), Maggie is horrified to see 28-year-old Joanna Moorehouse, the owner of mortgage banking firm Sterling Financial, lying gutted in the living room of her spotless home, but the most surprising aspect about the murder is the lack of evidence at the crime scene. Maggie’s got a tough job ahead of her, and Joanna’s employees at Sterling aren’t exactly the most forthcoming. Maggie’s colleagues, detectives Jack Renner and Thomas Riley, begin digging into Sterling, and a pattern of corruption emerges. Another, identical killing kicks the case into overdrive. Meanwhile, Maggie is struggling with a dark secret involving Jack, one that ex-husband Rick, a cop, may soon uncover. Black packs the formulaic plot full of fascinating forensic science and an eye-opening deep dive into predatory mortgage-lending practices. But after such an extensive buildup, the pedestrian denouement comes as a disappointment. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Agency. (Feb.)