Murder in Andaman

Kirchner’s tepid sequel to 2017’s Season of Sacrifice takes Seattle PI Maya Mallick to the Andaman Islands at the behest of her friend Lee Thompson after Lee’s book publisher husband, Rory, was hacked to death while the couple were in the city of Port Blair to attend a literary festival. Robbery appeared not to be the motive, as the killer stole only the publisher’s smartphone, leaving behind Rory’s other valuables. Maya visits Port Blair, where she manages to get some information from the police that wasn’t shared with Lee. Another murder doesn’t do much to further what was already a mystery that fails to grip. Though Maya is the daughter of a legendary detective with the Kolkata, India, police, whose murder she hopes someday to solve, she remains an undeveloped lead. Uninspired prose (“Through the pinkish-mauve shade of the sunset, she held a pleasant expression”) doesn’t help. Readers will be in no hurry for Maya’s next outing. (Dec.)