Dishonor Thy Father

This crafty mystery from Robinson (the Enigma of Twilight Falls trilogy) and Richards (the pen name of screenwriters M.J. Anderson and Richard Rossner) opens in 1999 Karaj, Iran, where an unnamed 15-year-old Muslim girl chafes at the restrictions her father has placed on her. When her father learns that she lied about visiting the library with a friend (instead the teen met her boyfriend), her father stabs her, but the wound isn’t mortal and she escapes. Flash forward to present-day L.A., where a hospital is the site of protests opposed to its having hired non-American doctors. When a patient fatally stabs Iranian Marika Javid, the new chief of surgical oncology, LAPD Det. Mike Tucci investigates with the help of Tara White, Marika’s friend and colleague. Suspects include colleagues jealous of Marika’s promotion and agitators upset that someone like her was employed in the U.S. Mike soon falls for Tara, stunned by her “pure physicality,” even as the inquiry takes some unexpected turns. The authors offer jaw-dropping twists until the end. Tami Hoag fans will be pleased. (Self-published)