Suspect

Fledgling PI Clarice “Pinky” Granum, the narrator of bestseller Turow’s disappointing 12th legal thriller bordering Illinois’s fictitious Kindle County (after 2020’s The Last Trial), works for attorney Rik Dudek. Pinky, the granddaughter of series regular Sandy Stern, who retired in The Last Trial, is assisting Rik on the case of a client, Highland Isle police chief Lucia Gomez-Barrera. Three male subordinates have accused Gomez-Barrera of offering them promotions in return for sex. With criminal charges still being considered, the local Police and Fire Commission has moved ahead with disciplinary hearings that could result in Gomez-Barrera’s termination. Pinky’s digging into the chief’s accusers coincides with her growing fascination with a hunky neighbor’s eccentric and reclusive habits. The central plot doesn’t compel, despite its connection to a murder midway through the book, and the unconventional Pinky—a former drug addict and police academy flameout with a pierced nose—comes across as more of a stereotype than a real person. Even devoted Turow fans will hope this is the last they see of Pinky. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman. (Sept.)