A Full Cold Moon

In Redmond’s workmanlike fourth police procedural featuring Det. Lauren Riley of the Buffalo (N.Y.) PD (after 2019’s A Means to an End), Lauren, on temporary leave from the cold case unit, looks into the murder of Gunnar Jonsson, a young Icelandic man found bludgeoned to death in an alley near his hotel. Due to the victim’s nationality, the FBI steps in and provides Lauren with a new partner, special agent Matthew Lawton. Lauren discovers that Gunnar came to Buffalo to meet his multimillionaire father, John Hudson, whose identity he recently discovered by taking a DNA test. Mr. Hudson was overjoyed at meeting Gunnar, but his other two children weren’t. Just as Lauren identifies a local suspect, the Icelandic authorities request that she and Matthew come to Reykjavík to interview Gunnar’s employer. Once in Iceland, Lauren starts to develop theories, as well as potential suspects (of which there are only two), and then lets them drop while she sees the sights of Reykjavík. Armchair travelers will have fun, but those expecting more than a cursory investigation will be disappointed. Agent: Bob Mecoy, Creative Book Services. (May)