Twenty Years Later

The murder of wildly successful author Cameron Young in 2001 drives this enjoyable if less than credible thriller from Donlea (The Suicide House). The primary suspect in Young’s headline-grabbing death was Victoria Ford, but before she could be tried, Victoria died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Messages left on her sister’s answering machine that day and the identification of Victoria’s remains, recovered at Ground Zero, in 2021 lead Avery Mason, the host of a popular TV news show, to investigate the cold case. New evidence suggests that somebody may have framed Victoria for Young’s murder. Proving Victoria innocent—and finding the real killer—is just the leverage Avery needs in her cutthroat contract negotiations with the network executives. The case also offers a chance of redemption to retired FBI agent Walt Jenkins, who now spends his days lost in a bottle of rum. With a dangerous secret in her past threatening to come to light as the Young case evolves, Avery races the clock to solve more than one mystery. Never mind that this secret could have been easily uncovered by anyone researching her life. Breathtaking pacing and clever plot twists mask thinly developed characters. Donlea’s fans will be satisfied. Agent: Marlene Stringer, Stringer Literary. (Jan.)