The Gift of Darkness

Rookie Seattle homicide detective Alice Madison, the heroine of this powerful but flawed debut, lands squarely in the middle of a headline-grabbing multiple murder—the execution of prominent tax attorney James Sinclair, his wife, and two young sons. The crime has apparent ties both to a notorious kidnapping decades earlier and to a currently suspected cop killer. Anonymous threats, the cryptic warning “thirteen days” carved at the crime scene, and a cunningly executed ambush of investigators suggest the family’s slaying might be just the first act of a fiendish plan. London-based Giambanco keeps the suspenseful plot moving with the assured pacing of the film editor that she is, even if she’s too often willing to sacrifice credibility for chills. She has created a series-worthy star in Madison, a complex young woman striving to put her own troubled past behind her, but leaves other major characters seriously underdeveloped. Hopefully, she’s got more in store for Madison’s well-earned return. [em]Agent: Teresa Chris, Teresa Chris Literary Agency (U.K.). (Nov.) [/em]