Adam Burns, raving right-wing columnist for the Washington Post, is killed by a Washington metro train. He's wearing a fake mustache and unnecessary glasses at the time. There's nothing to make suicide plausible, the few witnesses didn't see anything that supports murder, and the disguise makes accident too much of a coincidence.

Sergeant Fiona Fitzgerald, homicide detective in D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department, gets the hot potato of investigating this death, even as Washington explodes with rumor, scandal, and conspiracy theory, attributing the death to a hit ordered by the President or someone inside his administration.

Eight books in is not necessarily the best place to start reading a mystery series, but Adler provides enough background that I didn't have difficulty hooking in to the current story. It may have helped that in this book, Fiona is breaking in a new partner, Izzy. The character development is excellent, and no one here is a cartoon or stick figure stuck in to fill a role.

Adler keeps the balls in the air very effectively, and only very briefly, near the end, did I find myself saying, "Why don't they look at...?" It's a very brief lapse, as Fiona and Izzy do notice what they briefly missed. Altogether, a nicely engaging mystery with characters worth spending the time with.

Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

This is one of a series featuring detective Fiona Fitzgerald, of whom I was unaware. Now that I have found her courtesy of Netgalley, I'll be seeking additional work of Mr. Adler. Good development of plot and characters along with believable action make this a good police procedural read. Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to experience the new character and author.