Heather

A newly minted police chief uncovers dark truths about her New Jersey Pine Barrens birthplace in this melodramatic mystery from Edgar winner Mullen (Please See Us). When Callie Hauser’s best friend, Jane, gets hurt in a hit-and-run, Callie leaves her job as a North Jersey narcotics detective to head up the police force in her hometown of Pine Lakes. Callie aims to bust a local drug ring while helping Jane recover, but her focus shifts upon overhearing gossip regarding her estranged mother, Jenna, after Callie arrests her for drunk driving. Unbeknownst to Callie, when Jenna was 16, she found a dead infant who was never identified. Jenna vanishes before Callie can follow up on the story, further stoking her interest in Baby Doe and the child’s rumored ties to Annabelle and Sabrina Riley, twin teens who subsequently disappeared. Mullen intercuts third-person chapters following Callie in 2023 with second-person chapters set in 1990 that place readers in Annabelle’s shoes before her disappearance. The tale features some sly red herrings and packs an undeniable punch, but obtuse protagonists, diabolical villains, and overheated plot twists all strain credulity. It’s a mixed bag. Agent: Sarah Bedingfield, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (June)