Evil Games

In British author Marsons’s gritty sequel to 2020’s Silent Scream, Det. Insp. Kim Stone and the West Midlands Police are tasked with solving the murder of Allan Harris, a convicted rapist released early from prison for good behavior. The evidence leads straight to Harris’s victim, Ruth Willis, who immediately confesses to killing him, but an interview of Ruth’s psychiatrist, Alexandra Thorne, leaves Kim suspicious of the doctor’s methods and motivations. She’s not wrong—Alex is a manipulative sociopath who toys with her patients, but unfortunately for Kim, Alex takes her scrutiny as a challenge. The tension mounts as Kim and Alex’s cat-and-mouse game escalates. Also weighing on Kim’s mind is the department’s investigation into a child molester who videotaped his crimes and likely had an as-yet-unidentified accomplice. The subplot’s denouement feels abrupt and unearned, but the characters are complex and keenly rendered, injecting pathos into what could have been a rote procedural. Readers will hope to see more of Kim and company. Agent: Kathryn Taussig, Bookouture. (Apr.)