Genelin's darkly compelling second Jana Matinova mystery (after 2008's Siren of the Waters
) mixes equal parts lust, betrayal and murder. When Jana's childhood friend Sofia, who campaigns for an anticorruption organization called Transparency in Government, is elected to the Slovakian parliament, neither is prepared for the long-ranging and deadly consequences. Sofia's subsequent entanglement with a male colleague and acceptance of a huge diamond taint Jana's career as a commander in the Bratislavan police force, where she finds herself under investigation for corruption. As bodies begin to pile up in Slovakia and neighboring countries, Jana races to figure out the motive for the murders and their connection to a multicontinent smuggling ring before assassins do away with her suspects. Genelin ratchets up the suspense with smooth prose, evocative locales and distinctive characters who leap from the page. (July)
