The Reckoning
Three men are found murdered and mutilated in close succession, each tortured in an individual manner, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg here. The victims evoke less sympathy when all three are found to be pedophiles, making the killer seem nearly righteous in his motive. London DC Maeve Kerrigan, of the murder task force, chafing under the direction of brusque and opinionated DI Josh Derwent, saves the life of the fourth intended victim, which leads to an all-out search for a missing teenage girl. This turns into something bigger, with true psychopaths at its core and a spy within the task force. Meanwhile, perceptive but commitment-shy Maeve must deal with being a woman in a world of less-than-sensitive men and handle a romantic relationship with a fellow team member. In sharp and supple prose, Casey illustrates both the nitty-gritty work and the keen instincts that solve crimes in this police procedural with a feminist bent, a worthy sequel to the well-received The Burning (2011). --Michele Leber