Among the Dead: A Rachel Carver Novel

Rachel Carver, the heroine of Backlund’s exciting debut and series launch, resigned from North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation after fatally shooting a young mother in the line of duty. Rachel misses being a homicide investigator, though, and she welcomes the offer of her former partner, Danny Braddock, now Lowry County’s chief deputy, to consult on a murder case that has sowed panic in his small, peaceful mountain community. A bartender was found with a knife in his chest, lying on his kitchen floor. The police have no witnesses or suspects. Soon after Rachel arrives in the area, another man is murdered, this time with a knife in the back of his head. The authorities want a speedy resolution to the killings, which they believe are both drug related, but Rachel has her own ideas and insists on pursuing the investigation until it’s properly completed. Along the way, she’s romantically drawn to Danny. Readers will look forward to seeing more of the complex, capable Rachel. Agent: Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Irene Goodman Literary Agency. (Aug.)