The kill

*Starred Review* Cops are being killed in London. First, Terence Hammond is shot at night in his car by a skilled sniper, while the woman with whom he was in a compromising position flees. Then a police van is ambushed, leaving five dead, and two more well-planned murders follow. There are echoes of the 2011 London riots, even of Ferguson, Missouri, in these events and in the emotions they stir up, as the London Metropolitan PD murder task force struggles to solve the crimes. DC Maeve Kerrigan and her boss, DI Josh Derwent, work long hours with increasing stress levels, particularly after the trauma suffered by Maeve's police-officer boyfriend when he sees a colleague killed. The brash, misogynistic Derwent turns increasingly complex, occasionally compassionate but more often infuriating, as he and Maeve become an effective, intuitive team. As Casey puts Maeve through an emotional wringer, the author also resolves the long-standing problem of the task force's respected supervisor giving information to a major criminal who is still powerful despite being imprisoned. The Maeve Kerrigan mysteries seem to get better each time out, and this fifth complex police procedural has an emotional resonance that makes it the best yet. Recommend this series to Ian Rankin fans and to those who follow Prime Suspect creator Lynda La Plante's Anna Travis novels.--Leber, Michele Copyright 2015 Booklist

A series of brazen cop killings in London kick-starts Casey's well-paced fifth mystery featuring Det. Constable Maeve Kerrigan (after 2014's The Stranger You Know). Kerrigan and her abrasive yet oddly loyal partner, Det. Insp. Josh Derwent, worry that the murders may be retaliation for the recent death of an unarmed teen at police hands, and a distrustful public makes for a difficult investigation. In addition, Kerrigan's boss, Supt. Charles Godley, seems to be buckling under the pressure of a terrible secret that only Kerrigan is privy to, but she has no idea how to help him. Kerrigan handles the daily tests of being a woman in a man's world with aplomb, but this case pushes her to the limit, both professionally and personally, as she strives to find a common thread among the victims. Intricate plotting and psychologically astute characters are a plus. A diabolically clever twist will leave readers agape. Agent: Ariella Feiner, United Agents (U.K.). (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The murder of a police officer is only the first of a rash of killings that devastates London's police force. Partway through a departmental wedding reception, DC Maeve Kerrigan (Bet Your Life, 2014, etc.) has to pry her partner, DI Josh Derwent, off a bridesmaid to tell him the party's over. Sgt. Terence Hammond has been found shot dead in a car just outside London's Richmond Park. Maeve discovers evidence that he wasn't alone, and his wife isn't going to like the details. In fact, Hammond's widow is more angry than grief-stricken, and his daughter is resentful and closemouthed. Suspecting domestic abuse, Maeve and Derwent discuss the case with a school counselor. Derwent, an arms expert, thinks the shooter must have used an illegal long-range weapon. His startling reaction to testing firearms at a gun club reminds Maeve that her Lothario of a partner's not as invulnerable as he pretends, probably because of the army experiences he never talks about. He's not the only one with a secret: Maeve knows something about Superintendent Charles Godley that she wishes she didn't, and her private meetings with him convince Derwent she's having an affair with the boss. Balancing her loyalty to Godley and her discomfort at knowing the truth about him, all while trying to sidestep the quagmire of office politics, doesn't make her field work any easier, especially after a police task force is ambushed. The subsequent death of a rookie cop affects Maeve both professionally and personally and drives her to pursue the Hammond case into a deadly web of obsession and revenge. Casey has devised both an intricate puzzle and an intriguing partnership for her detective's fifth outing. Tough, reckless Maeve and the charismatic Derwent both have something to prove, especially that they aren't as attracted to each other as they obviously are. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.