In this follow-up to last summer's gritty The Lost Ones, Nora Watts tries to make sense of her father's brutal life and death by traveling from her native Vancouver, BC, to Detroit, where he grew up as one of numerous Canadian native children adopted by American families. Private investigator Jon Brazuca needs to warn Nora that she's in danger, but she's swerved off the grid. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

Having found the daughter she gave up for adoption in The Lost Ones, Nora Watts now turns to the question of her father, who killed himself when she was a child. Her investigation takes her from Vancouver, BC, to Detroit, where he grew up as one of numerous Canadian native children adopted by American families. There she uncovers not only the mystery of her father's death but also questions about her mother, whom she never knew. Back in Vancouver, investigator Jon Brazuca agrees to look into the overdose of a billionaire's pregnant mistress. It's no surprise that the two cases share a connection—nor is it a shock that Watts and Brazuca continue to deny their feelings for each other. Touching on many weighty subjects, such as the opioid crisis, the adoption of Canadian indigenous children, and Detroit's deterioration, the story moves briskly. While enough background is given to help new readers, this title appears to be the middle installment of a possible trilogy, leaving those who haven't read the first book missing out on its full impact. VERDICT Mystery fans who enjoy their crime fiction headed by strong, cynical heroines will appreciate this, but they should start first with The Lost Ones. [See Prepub Alert, 1/22/18.]—Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

In Canadian author Kamal's disappointing sequel to 2017's The Lost Ones, danger looms when a mysterious stranger approaches Vancouver research assistant Nora Watts—who barely survived her last case, involving the kidnapping of the now-teenage daughter she gave up for adoption at birth. The man claims to have served with her late father, Sam Watts, as a Marine in Lebanon and hints that there might be more to learn about his suicide. Soon Nora is headed for her father's hometown of Detroit, where her initial inquiries uncover little about Sam, but do offer a tantalizing lead about someone else—the mother whose face she has never even seen. Meanwhile, back on the other side of the border, Nora's frenemy, PI Jon Brazuca, is also swimming into treacherous waters as he investigates an ostensibly unrelated case: the death by overdose of a billionaire's pregnant mistress. Kamal demonstrates a knack for putting her kick-ass heroine in harm's way, repeatedly, but unfortunately shows considerably less skill at crafting a coherent plot. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency. (July)