Disturbed Earth

Back on the NYPD after a stint as a PI, Artie Cohen takes on a mysterious and ambiguous special assignment in his twisty, psychologically complex fifth outing, set during the winter of 2002. Obsessed and haunted by the 9/11 terrorist attack, as well as by his fraught Russian upbringing, Cohen has found a sliver of hope in his relationship with Billy Farone, his 12-year-old godson. When bloody clothing is found on a Brooklyn beach, Cohen instinctively fears for Billy's safety. Despite reassurances from Billy's parents that the boy is away with a friend, Cohen remains uneasy—even after evidence links the clothes to a missing girl who eventually turns up dead. Cohen calls on his many contacts in the Brighton Beach Russian émigré community, including underworld figures and other unsavory characters, for help in solving the case. Meanwhile, his boss, who believes a serial killer is preying on New York City's youngsters, alternatively engages and excludes him from the investigation. Nadelson (Bloody London ) pulls few punches, and the final revelation is a genuine shocker—a rare accomplishment in crime fiction these days. Nadelson is also the author of a biography, Comrade Rockstar , which is under film option to Tom Hanks. Agent, David Miller at Rogers, Coleridge & White (U.K.). (June 15)