Lethal White

Robert Galbraith's (aka J.K. Rowling) fourth Cormoran Strike novel is the best one yet. It combines the author's skillful depictions of characters, a complicated plot, and enough heft to make readers dive into the story and not want to come out. At 656 pages, its size might intimidate new readers, but those who have explored the first three Strike novels will eagerly devour this one. Strike's relationship with his former assistant and now partner Robin Ellacott is teased along as the detective agency pursues a couple of new cases; readers can see that there is "something" there, but the attraction is not directly addressed by either character. This growth in the characters' relationship doesn't detract from the plot; instead it enhances the action. The story at first appears to be about one case (a possible murdered and buried child), and then swivels to a blackmail investigation of a government minister, and then twists again when the minister is found dead in a situation that appears (or is made to appear) to be a suicide. This book is a great choice for readers who like smart detective stories, British settings, complicated characters, and a mystery to solve. Highly recommended.

Kelly Currie

Salt Lane

Although Alexandra Cupidi appears in another of William Shaw's crime novels, she is the main detective in "Salt Lane." She has been transferred from the London Metropolitan police to the wild Kentish countryside after ending an affair with a married coworker. She and her teen daughter have moved into a small house on the coast. Alexandra worries about her daughter who seems to be depressed and who spends hours on the marshes, coming home later and later. The marshes lie very close to Salt Lane.
She is not very popular at the Kent station. She is quick to criticize and slow to praise her underlings. Jill Ferriter is the young constable assigned to her, and she is smart and ready to make her mark. Their first assignment together is to find who murdered the homeless woman in Salt Lane. Found in water, she did not drown, and cause of death appears unknown. When they inform her son of her death, they discover she spent the night at his house, leaving early in the morning. Salt Lane is many miles from London, so how did she get there?
The investigation becomes more complicated as they dig deeper and find it involves illegal immigrants working on farms throughout the countryside. Of course, more murders occur, and Alexandra foolishly goes off on her own to investigate. I felt this was a big flaw in the novel. She is not familiar with the surroundings, and when she worked in London, she surely would not go off on her own. The book shows an interesting aspect about immigration--the farm workers who will work for lower wages and bring in the crops. After Brexit, the number of these farm workers will be greatly reduced.

Y Is For Yesterday by Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton is finally down to her twenty-fifth book in the alphabet series!  This book begins in 1979 and goes back and forth between 1979 and 1989.  Kinsey doesn't get involved until 1989 when she gets a call from a woman who has received a letter asking for $50.000 or the police will be given a videotape showing her son and several of his friends raping a female classmate ten years ago.  Lauren McCabe's son Fritz has just been released from prison where he served time for the murder of another female classmate, Sloan who was suspected of stealing the video.  The McCabe's want Kinsey to find the blackmailer and get the video back.
All those involved attended an upscale high school and were in line to receive scholarships at the end of the semester after taking the Proficiency Test.  Iris Lehmann steals the test and the answer sheet, so her friend Poppy Earl could pass and go to Vassar. This incident seems to be the catalyst for the everything that happens next.  Someone reported the test stolen so Poppy and her boyfriend, Troy Rademacher and Iris were all dismissed from school.  Sloan was blamed by Austin Brown as the person who reported the test stolen to the administration, so he told the group to shun her.  In return she "blackmails" Austin with the tape to stop the shunning.  This leads to her murder and Troy and Fritz are sent to prison.  Austin disappears and so does the tape. Now, the tape has resurfaced and someone is using it to blackmail the McCabes.
Long time landlord Henry has taken in two homeless individuals and their dog, which bothers Kinsey because she doesn't trust them.  Ned Lowe the serial killer from X has returned and is stalking her.  Between the blackmail case and finding Ned before he tries to kill her again, Kinsey has her hands full.  Great detective work, interesting story lines.