In the Shadow of Lies

After failing to apprehend the racist arsonists who started a deadly fire or solve several mysterious disappearances of American Italians, Richmond, Calif., homicide detective Oliver Wright reenlists in Marines during World War II. Returning home near the close of the war, Wright finds himself investigating a conspiracy horribly reminiscent of his past failures. Adler delivers a complex and engrossing mystery that portrays the sprawling cities and small towns of America and some of the desperate people who inhabit them. While his novel is sometimes hampered by distracting flashbacks and time jumps, Adler effectively captures the plight of minorities during World War II.