Shaded Light: A Manziuk and Ryan Mystery

Ontario police detectives Paul Manziuk and his new partner, Jacqueline Ryan, make an odd team--he's white, an abrupt, patronizing veteran, while she's a recently promoted, vivacious black woman--but in Lindquist's debut mystery the two rub elbows and tempers to captivating effect. When a house party thrown by a wealthy lawyer turns sour, and Jillian, the wife of one of the lawyer's partners, is strangled in the garden, Manziuk and Ryan take charge of the case, unearthing the resentments and hatreds buried in the law firm's past. Suspects abound, including the host's ne'er-do-well nephew; Jillian's former lover, who is being recruited by the firm; Jillian's cynical, older husband; and the jealous wife of another partner. The detectives are surprised to learn that Jillian was blackmailing many of the party guests, but they are stunned when the body of the housekeeper's daughter is found outside the estate's back gate. Did the girl hear or see something concerning Jillian's murder? As they investigate, Manziuk and Ryan also are working on the case of a serial killer who attacks only red-haired women. Although Jillian didn't have red hair, in some other respects her death mirrored those of the serial killer's victims. Like Agatha Christie, Lindquist spends a lot of time developing a believable web of personal relationships before introducing the murders. However, she updates the Golden Age template with modern police techniques (Ryan has degrees in both psychology and criminology). The result is a cozy that will delight fans who appreciate solid, modern detection. (Jan.)