Vicious Cycle (Corey in Los Angeles #1)

This provocative debut and series launch from Stickle centers on former investigative reporter Corey Tracey-Lieberman. Three years ago, Corey was routinely recognized on the street for her work at a top-rated L.A. news station. After being laid off following her exposure of sexual harassment at the station, she’s become an instructor at Cyclone Spin Studio and the anxious mother of nine-month-old Jacob. When the bodies of two teenage Latina girls are found hanging from a tree in a bird sanctuary near Corey’s home, police are quick to suggest a gang connection before declaring the deaths suicides instead. Corey isn’t convinced by either hypothesis. With Jacob securely strapped to her chest in a baby carrier, she does some preliminary sleuthing of her own. Then a third victim turns up—someone Corey knows well—and she becomes fixated on finding the killer, ignoring opposition from her husband and the police. Stickle buttresses her well-executed mystery plot with sharp wit, visceral depictions of Corey’s postpartum anxiety, and a surprisingly stark focus on systemic violence against women. Readers will be hungry to hear more from Corey soon. Agent: Dara Hyde, Hill Nadel Literary. (Oct.)