No Place to Die

In Donoghue's uneven sequel to 2014's Never Look Back, Sue Leech, a retired cop married to a retired cop, calls Det. Sgt. Jane Bennett to report her husband, Mark, missing. In the ensuing search of the woods around the London borough of Lewisham, police find the body of Maggie Hungerford, a young woman who was buried alive. Jane soon learns that the victim was dating Victor Lebowski, a brilliant psychology professor and Mark's main suspect in a six-year-old rape and murder case. Until his disappearance, Mark obsessively pursued Lebowski, opening Jane and her team to charges of police harassment as they probe his role in Maggie's death and Mark's disappearance. Donoghue adroitly builds suspense, but awkwardly narrated action sequences and an implausible resolution may disappoint some readers. Jane's struggles as a single mother of an autistic child add depth to her character, and the interplay between Jane and her boss, Det. Insp. Mike Lockyear, sets up engaging possibilities for future series installments. [em]Agent: Hellie Ogden, Janklow & Nesbit (U.K.). (June) [/em]