Dead figures in the title of every one of the crime thrillers in this best-selling series. In the latest, the twelfth, the title refers to the active villain here, a woman who goes after wealthy and lonely older men, completely captivates them, and then murders them. Part of the chilling fun here is that much of the mystery is from the killer's point of view. Readers are first introduced to Jodie Bentley at a posh ski resort in the French Alps as she and her fiancé head for the slopes and to the fiancé's seeming accident. Series hero Detective Superintendent Roy Grace of the Brighton Constabulary is still tracking an elusive physician/serial killer when the Lyon Gendarmerie asks for his help the Black Widow is a UK citizen. A series of reversals leads the widow into more crimes, especially nerve-shredding since she is an avid reptile-keeper. James is a master of constructing the kind of plot that twists and turns, ensnaring the reader in its grasp.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2016 Booklist