Murder Crossed Her Mind: A Pentecost and Parker Mystery

Spotswood’s spotty fourth outing for private detectives Willowjean “Will” Parker and Lillian Pentecost (after 2022’s Secrets Typed in Blood) buries the pair in an avalanche of inquiries and incidents. In the fall of 1947, New York City defense attorney Forest Whitsun calls on Pentecost and Parker to track down his friend, Vera Bodine, a retired secretary in her late 70s. Soon, Will and Lillian learn that Vera’s age and occupation belie her colorful—and dangerous—life, which could have gathered her all manner of enemies. Her disappearance might be linked to her obsession with a string of recent murders, for instance, or perhaps to her time assisting the FBI in tracking down Nazis. Meanwhile, Will is targeted by a group of small-time crooks who’ve stolen her identity, and Lillian’s multiple sclerosis worsens while she’s blackmailed by an old nemesis. Will’s Archie Goodwin-style wisecracking is likely to keep readers amused, but Spotswood overstuffs the plot and delivers a limp resolution to the main mystery. This one’s for diehard fans only. Agent: Darley Anderson, Darley Anderson Literary. (Dec.)