Don't Talk to Strangers: A Novel
*Starred Review* Keye Street has made a name for herself in catching serial killers even after getting fired as an FBI behavioral analyst for being a drunk. So when Sheriff Ken Meltzer of Silas, Georgia, finds the bodies of two 13-year-old girls, killed a decade apart, at the same dump site, he asks Street to consult. She’s met with overt hostility by members of Meltzer’s department, as an outsider interfering with their case, and she stands out as an Asian American, attracting attention throughout the small town. She also piques the interest of the perpetrator, who sends messages to her while snatching another 13-year-old girl. Desperate to save the life of the latest victim, Street—four years sober—also is fighting her desire for a drink and a strong mutual attraction for Meltzer, even though she loves the man she left at home, Atlanta PD officer Aaron Rauser. The third entry in this compelling series features an increasingly suspenseful plot with some delicious final twists. But this is most notable as character-driven crime fiction with a flawed, damaged, Krispy Kreme–loving protagonist who continues to fight her own demons as she tracks a psychopath who blends into the background. A superlative series. --Michele Leber