cover image Loose Tongues

Loose Tongues

Chris Simms. Severn, $28.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-7278-8810-5

In this promising series launch, British author Simms (the John Spicer series) introduces 22-year-old Sean Blake on his first day as a detective constable with the Manchester police. Sean suspects, as do some of his fellow officers, that he got the promotion thanks to the influence of his mother, Janet, a former police officer. Now confined to a wheelchair, Janet has poured all her ambition into gaining advancement for her son. He has been assigned to a special team handling a series of murders in which the victims’ cellphones were shoved in their mouths after death. Unclear is what unites the victims, who are of different ages, professions, and appearance. While his colleagues hit the streets, Sean is tasked with going through phone records and watching CCTV tapes. Janet and the other members of the squad both help and hinder his duties. A hero of a police procedural who does the unglamorous grunt work is a refreshing change, though Sean does get to indulge in some dynamic action in the exciting finale. Readers will look forward to seeing how his career progresses. (Oct.)