Jane Casey's seventh book in the Maeve Kerrigan mystery series has the London detective sergeant investigating a murder that's missing a vital piece of evidence--the victim. Eighteen-year-old Chloe Emery flees her father's house, where she's been visiting, to return unexpectedly to the home she shares with her mother, Kate Emery. But instead of her parent, Chloe finds a gruesome scene: blood splashed across all surfaces.
Crime scene investigators and a blood-spatter expert are called in, but the lack of a body leaves Kerrigan and the homicide team in a precarious position. The situation doesn't improve as they canvass the neighborhood and begin racking up suspects: an ultra-religious couple who think Kate's promiscuous, a young man with a possible criminal history, Kate's ex-husband, even Chloe. The plot thickens and the stakes rise as Kerrigan and Detective Inspector Josh Derwent sift through the complex, sometimes volatile, relationships among their suspects.
Regardless of whether readers have previously encountered the Maeve Kerrigan series, Let the Dead Speak will enthrall mystery fans. The intricacy of the plot, packed with plenty of unexpected twists, makes the case exciting and unpredictable, while the entanglements of the intense, dimensional characters offer plenty to connect with emotionally. Casey expertly weaves in humor, catching readers off guard and leaving them chuckling, but still maintains the gravity of her dark homicide investigation. Expertly crafted, Let the Dead Speak exclaims volumes about Casey's superb talent. --Jen Forbus, freelancer