Under her care A thriller

Pediatric psychologist Casey Walker, the principal narrator of this superlative psychological thriller from Berry (The Secrets of Us), is brought in as a consultant in the case of Mason Hill, a 14-year-old autistic boy suspected of murdering the Tuscaloosa, Ala., mayor's wife. Because Mason's mother stops questioning as soon as her son shows any sign of agitation, Casey is tasked with gaining the mother's trust so that the police can fully interview Mason, who was found by the body splattered with blood on a riverbank below an old railroad bridge. He's assumed to have an aggressive personality because when police approached him, he pelted them with rocks. His fingerprints are on the rock that provided the fatal blow to the victim's head. As Casey observes Mason and reads his medical records, she begins to believe in his innocence and that Mason's mother may be harboring secrets. Casey is particularly interested in the case because she, herself, is raising an autistic daughter. The action never wavers, and the surprises are unending. Berry is writing at the top of her game. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)

A suspicious death pits two strong, determined mothers of children with autism against each other. It's a sign of the relentlessly sharp focus of Berry that although the woman bashed to death at Hurricane Creek is Annabelle Chapman, the wife of the mayor, the mayor himself makes no appearance and doesn't even get a first name. Instead, attention instantly focuses on wealthy, well-connected Genevieve Hill and her son, Mason, who are both found at the scene, with Mason, a 14-year-old with the body of an adult and the mind of a 4-year-old, bending over the body. Planning to appoint a guardian ad litem for Mason, Detective Layne calls on pediatric psychologist Casey Walker, a specialist in autism whose daughter, Harper, is on the spectrum. By the time that plan falls through, single mother Casey has developed a fascination bordering on obsession with Genevieve, a former Miss Alabama whose stockbroker husband, John, died six years ago. Despite, or maybe because of, Genevieve's well-documented devotion to her son, Casey becomes convinced that something is off about her and the relationship, and she presses to find out more by talking with Savannah Hill, a first-year student at Ole Miss who has plenty to say about her mother, and examining the unexpectedly revealing records of the intelligence tests Mason has taken over the years. As Casey and Genevieve circle each other with mounting hostility, it becomes more and more obvious what really happened to Annabelle Chapman; the only secret that remains hidden is the motive, and it's a humdinger. Perfect for suspense fans who'd normally tune out the minor characters the author has preemptively scratched. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.