The Bone Riddle: An Alexa Glock Forensics Mystery

Johnson’s transporting fourth entry featuring Alexa Glock (after 2022’s The Bone Track) finds the New Zealand forensics expert in a burgeoning relationship with Auckland Det. Insp. Bruce Horne. Alexa’s hopes for a deeper connection with him and his daughters are thwarted, though, when a high-profile case demands her attention: a decaying corpse is found inside a doomsday bunker on the estate of American billionaire Harlan Quinn. While the general appearance of the cadaver matches descriptions of Harlan, his wife, Audrey insists that Harlan is alive and well and in Germany, and refuses to release any medical records. Alexa, though, identifies the body as Harlan’s through dental records, and further investigation suggests he was strangled, leading Alexa to launch a murder investigation that casts suspicion on a number of people. Johnson expertly balances her lead’s personal and professional lives and maintains nerve-shredding suspense throughout. This gives every indication that Alexa can sustain a long-running series. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Bradford Literary. (June)