False Friend

Arson at a Birmingham, Ala., school propels Grant’s tension-filled if overstuffed sequel to 2015’s False Positive. Det. Cooper Deveraux and his partner, Tommy Garretty, investigate, but clues are few. Meanwhile, Cooper’s involvement in the case puts a strain on his relationship with his ex, Alexandra, with whom he has only recently been reunited. Plus his seven-year-old daughter, Nicole, is behaving erratically, as is Daniel, the 15-year-old son of reporter Diane McKinzie, who’s covering the arson story. A second fire quickly follows the first, the public panics, and Cooper’s boss, Captain Emrich, wants immediate results. Human bones found at the site of the initial fire prove to be unconnected to the arson. To top it all off, Cooper’s dark past, in the form of envelopes filled with photos and documents, literally arrives on Alexandra’s doorstep. So much is going on that Grant can’t resolve everything by the end. Series fans will be pleased that there’s more to come, while others may just be frustrated. [em]Agent: Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary Management. (Jan.) [/em]