A Pound of Flesh

Gray’s ninth procedural featuring Glasgow’s Det. Supt. William Lorimer and psychologist Solly Brightman (after 2011’s Sleep Like the Dead) covers well-trodden terrain in a too familiar manner. The Glasgow police must deal with two serial killers—one preying on prostitutes, the other on affluent businessmen. One of the latter victims turns out to be Edward Pattison, Scotland’s new deputy first minister, whose slaying only ratchets up the pressure on Lorimer and his team. Once again, Lorimer asks Brightman for help in getting inside the minds of the murderers they seek. Trite setups include a capable woman who ends up a hostage after making the sort of mistake that would have a movie audience screaming, “Don’t go in there!” The resolution of the two mysteries does nothing to impress the reader with the lead’s acumen. (Aug.)