In this riveting thriller by William Shaw (The Birdwatcher), Sgt. Alexandra Cupidi has recently left the London metro police for the peace of the Kentish countryside. Her brash personality, though, has made her unpopular among the local officers. Partnered with opinionated, flirty Jill Ferriter, Cupidi is resigned to her fate, until two strange murders happen within days of each other.
First, the body of a middle-aged woman is found in the marshes, with no apparent cause of death. Even more strange, no one seems to know who she is, and her biological son, who hadn't seen his mother since he was a toddler, claims she showed up at his door after the body had been found. But before Cupidi and Ferriter can get too far into this investigation, the body of a young immigrant man is found drowned in a farm's slurry tank. This stirs anti-immigrant tensions in the area, and Cupidi must use all of her big-city skills to solve these two cases.
Meanwhile, Cupidi's teenage daughter is struggling with adapting to life in Kent, and when grandmother comes down for a visit, the sergeant's personal life and professional life end up tangling in unexpected ways.
Fans of Ian Rankin or Tana French are sure to enjoy Salt Lane, an atmospheric and intriguing mystery, with timely discussion of immigration issues and a likable if slightly overbearing heroine. --Jessica Howard, bookseller at Bookmans, Tucson, Ariz.