Woman Last Seen

This uneven domestic thriller from British author Parks (Just My Luck) opens with a woman bound to a radiator in a darkened room, uncertain of where she is or how she got there. The scene shifts to the London home of management consultant Leigh Fletcher; her husband, Mark; and Leigh’s two school-age stepsons. She has failed to return from a business trip, and Mark, at the urging of his sons, calls the police. After learning that Mark and Leigh argued on the eve of her trip, Detective Constable Clements believes that the disappearance may simply be a family dispute—that is, until she’s assigned the case of another missing woman, Kai Janssen. Kai is childless and married to a young, handsome, and wealthy Dutch businessman. Though the two women seem to have led very different lives, Clements believes the two cases are connected. Those who enjoy reading about obtuse husbands, irritating children, and put-upon wives will be entertained, but the overly melodramatic machinations of the villain, whose identity becomes clear early on, and a vague ending will disappoint most. This is not Parks at her best. (Feb.)