In Voice of Fear, the latest in Graham's long-running paranormal romantic suspense series, FBI agent Jordan Wallace worries about new partner Patrick's special gift of getting into another's mind--can he read her thoughts?--but must learn to trust him as they hunt for a nasty killer (400,000-copy paperback and 10,000-copy hardcover first printing). In Johansen's Captive, Eve Duncan's daughter, Jane, is happily married to Seth Caleb, but his troubled past means threats from a psychopath. Paradise police chief Jesse Stone returns in Mike Lupica's Untitled new Robert Parker thriller, though what happens next has yet to be revealed. In Maden's Clive Cussler's Hellburner, Juan Cabrillo and his Oregon crew face a particularly violent drug-smuggling criminal syndicate that has been passed down from father to son for generations. In Patterson and Dubois's Blowback, Liam Grey and Noa Himel are upended when President Keegan Barrett orders them to help execute his secret power grab; as CIA special agents, they must follow the president's directives but are sworn to uphold the Constitution. In Turow's Suspect, Clarice "Pinky" Granum--granddaughter of Turow stalwart Sandy Stern--is working second-tier cases as a private investigator and trying to recoup from the mistakes of a mislaid life when she's asked to help Highland Isle police chief Lucia Gomez, who has been accused of soliciting sex from three male police officers in exchange for promotions.

A private eye aids a police chief whose knickers may be in a twist. In Highland Isle, Chief Lucia "Lucy" Gomez is accused of forcing a subordinate to have sex with her in exchange for his promotion to sergeant before his retirement. Unfortunately for the chief, there is a lurid photograph. But wait, she says, it must be Photoshopped. That can't be her. Well, we'll see about that. She's a "good police chief," an attorney says. "But power corrupts. And she's turned her officers into her pool boys." If a civil hearing determines that she's been "bringing home guys who were under [her] command," those knickers are well and truly twisted. Doing research on her behalf is the narrator, Clarice "Pinky" Granum, a 33-year-old ace investigator who works for the chief's lawyer, Rik Dudek. Gomez is a strong character, but she's nothing like Pinky, the granddaughter of Sandy Stern, who has been a recurring character in Turow's novels. Sandy is now in his mid-80s and in assisted living, where Pinky comes to visit. Pinky is a bisexual "inked-up chick" with a nail in her nose, and her ex-girlfriend is a "lumbersexual" cop named Tonya. Sandy is cool with all that as long as Pinky takes out the nail and wears long sleeves when necessary. She's very athletic, was once a police cadet, and is happy to be a "queerdo." And wouldn't you know, she lives next door to a guy she calls The Weird One, or TWO, who she becomes convinced is a spy. Anyway, she's skeptical about the chief forcing sex on a guy. "She's a woman, Boss. Men still hate it when a female does what she wants with her body. These dudes' stories make no sense." And then a witness named Blanco dies, raising the stakes. Did the chief have him whacked? Or maybe it was TWO, who is a Hmong guy named Koob, or a superrich ex-cop real estate mogul nicknamed the Ritz. Pinky and her colorful cohorts are the book's main appeal, but readers wanting gunplay won't be disappointed. Turow clearly had fun writing this one, and his fans will have fun reading it. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

After Kindle County legal legend Sandy Stern's retirement, his granddaughter, Pinky (last seen in The Last Trial, 2020), signed on as investigator for his stepson, Rik, who operates a one-man law firm. Their latest case is a doozy; they're representing Police Chief Lucia Gomez, who's accused of trading promotions for sexual favors. Gomez insists that Moritz Vojczek, a corrupt cop turned shady real-estate millionaire, has orchestrated the accusations as revenge for Gomez firing him. After Pinky discovers key evidence, Rik easily unravels two of the accusers' testimonies, but the third accuser is found dead before Rik can impeach the photo he's submitted to prove the chief's guilt. Worse, Gomez becomes the prime suspect in the murder when the photo is leaked. Pinky is in her element with this multilayered investigation, but she can't shake her preoccupation with her weird new neighbor, who's aroused her suspicion, among other things. Pinky's unconventional, socially awkward narration offers a fresh take on sticky legal issues, and Turow's carefully paced, tight plotting complements her dedication to the long game.

Fledgling PI Clarice "Pinky" Granum, the narrator of bestseller Turow's disappointing 12th legal thriller bordering Illinois's fictitious Kindle County (after 2020's The Last Trial), works for attorney Rik Dudek. Pinky, the granddaughter of series regular Sandy Stern, who retired in The Last Trial, is assisting Rik on the case of a client, Highland Isle police chief Lucia Gomez-Barrera. Three male subordinates have accused Gomez-Barrera of offering them promotions in return for sex. With criminal charges still being considered, the local Police and Fire Commission has moved ahead with disciplinary hearings that could result in Gomez-Barrera's termination. Pinky's digging into the chief's accusers coincides with her growing fascination with a hunky neighbor's eccentric and reclusive habits. The central plot doesn't compel, despite its connection to a murder midway through the book, and the unconventional Pinky--a former drug addict and police academy flameout with a pierced nose--comes across as more of a stereotype than a real person. Even devoted Turow fans will hope this is the last they see of Pinky. Agent: Gail Hochman, Brandt & Hochman. (Sept.)