The Snow Raven: A Josie Corsino Mystery

Dial’s hard-hitting sixth Josie Corsino mystery, set in 1981 (after 2018’s Warning Shots), opens with Josie, “the only woman in a squad of seasoned Hollywood narcotics detectives,” and her partner, Det. Larry Tomic, rendezvousing late one night with a snitch named Clark Kent (no relation to Superman’s alter ego) atop a seedy apartment building. A coke-snorting delivery boy for a drug dealer, Kent has information about a bunch of cops dealing crack, and asks for $50 in exchange for taking the two to a guy who knows the cops’ names. Kent can’t or won’t say who the guy is, but promises to call in the morning to pursue the matter. The next day, Kent’s mangled body is found lying in an alley. Josie and Tomic are soon on the trail of a drug kingpin closely tied to the LAPD. The author convincingly portrays the strain Josie’s difficult job puts on her relationships with her husband and their seven-year-old son. A 27-year-veteran of the LAPD, Dial brings eye-opening, authentic detail to this police procedural. (Sept.)