One Under

Strong characterization and tight plotting distinguish British author Hurley's seventh police procedural to feature Portsmouth Det. Insp. Joe Faraday and Det. Constable Paul Winter. Faraday, unsettled by a recent romantic disappointment, takes charge of a high-profile and extremely challenging case—the death of a man chained to railway tracks in a darkened tunnel. After some heavy digging, Faraday's team manages to identify the dead man as fringe political activist Mark Duley. Before that identification is conclusive, however, Winter fastens on another candidate for the corpse, Alan Givens, who'd worked at the local mortuary. Winter, who almost died of a brain tumor, ends up pursuing a separate investigation that threatens his life and his professional reputation. This entry makes an excellent introduction for first-timers, who are sure to seek out previous books in the series (Blood and Honey , etc.). (Oct.)