Dark Water

At the start of Bryndza’s suspenseful, if somewhat implausible, third novel featuring Det. Chief Insp. Erika Foster (after The Night Stalker), the divers Erika is supervising in a search for 10 kilos of heroin in a quarry on the outskirts of South London discover what appears to be the skeleton of a child. When dental records identify the remains as those of a seven-year-old girl who vanished 26 years earlier while walking to a friend’s birthday party in what subsequently became one of the area’s most baffling cold cases, feisty Erika fights to lead the probe, despite her recent transfer to the Organized and Economic Crime team. It swiftly appears that the case—which not only destroyed the victim’s family but also ruined other lives including that of the original supervising officer—could prove equally toxic the second time around. Meanwhile, shadowy characters set out to stymie Erika, no matter the cost, and she must deal with the budding mutual attraction between her and one of her subordinates. Bryndza delivers plenty of surprises along the way. Fans of contemporary police procedurals will be satisfied. (Oct.)