The Blood Whisperer

Kelly Jacks, the heroine of this disappointing standalone from Sharp (Absence of Light and 10 other Charlie Fox novels), used to be a London crime-scene investigator, renowned for her ability to tease meaning out of evidence, but after a stint in prison for a murder she didn’t commit, she’s now demoted to cleaning up crime scenes with her young partner, Tyrone Douet. On a routine job—mopping up a posh house after its wealthy owner ended her life via rifle—Jacks questions the cops’ conclusion of suicide, going so far as to convince the widower, Matthew Lytton, that his wife’s death may be more complicated. It’s all downhill from there. At their next crime scene, Jacks is momentarily incapacitated—with ketamine, she later learns—and when she awakens, Tyrone is dead and she looks guilty. Jacks runs both to clear her name and uncover the conspiracy that wants her put away. In what amounts to a book-long chase scene involving lots of angry Russians and several shady cops, this thriller is less cat and mouse than repetitive cat circus. (July)