The Deceiving Look

The third entry in Methos’s series starring Utah attorney Solomon Shepard and sheriff Billie Gray (after 2023’s The Grave Singer) is a step down from its predecessors. Shepard was once one of Tooele County’s top prosecutors, but a traumatic case has left him haunted by visions of bleeding corpses and living like a hermit. Despite Shepard’s isolation and impaired mental state, Gray seeks the lawyer’s help with a high-profile investigation. Mayor Dennis Yang, who’d recently been the subject of multiple sexual harassment allegations, has been found dead in his home, with both of his femoral arteries severed by a linoleum knife. Having never heard of such a suicide method, Gray suspects foul play; the plot thickens when Shepard reveals that his own mother killed herself the exact same way when he was 10. As Gray and Shepard try to determine whether they have a killer on their hands, Gray fends off an unstable ex. While Methos’s leads remain memorable, the investigation proceeds predictably and arrives at a disappointing conclusion. Here’s hoping the series regains its footing the next time out. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)