Mystery/thriller roundup

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Updated: March 1, 2012 8:05AM

‘Face Thief’ fails to live up to initial promise

The first few pages of Eli Gottlieb’s third novel, The Face Thief (Wm. Morrow, $24.99), are frightfully good: a woman, later identified as Margot, falls down the stairs, life not so much flashing before her eyes as spooling out in slow motion, mingling with her bone-splintering reality and things she cannot be sure are really there. And so we’re off on what promises to be a narrative of psychological suspense: Margot may have been pushed down the stairs, but by whom, and why? Unfortunately, the book fails to live up to its initial promise. First, for a psychological study, the main characters are too flat, motivated by greed for various combinations of love and money — characters we’ve seen before. The lack of originality in Margot is particularly disappointing, as she reads like a worn-out caricature whose sexual proclivities are a major factor in her manipulative and false nature. Second, there’s very little suspense. While the ultimate whodunit may be a surprise, there’s hardly any tension. We witness Margot’s cons in flashbacks, which drive the story forward, though we know or can guess how it will turn out.

Michelle Wiener / AP

Zuiker’s ‘Level 26’ finale thought-provoking

Steve Dark, rogue agent and hunter of serial killers, is back with another mission — to stop an elusive murderer in Dark Revelations (Dutton, $26.95), the final installment in Anthony E. Zuiker’s Level 26 trilogy. In Dark Revelations, Dark is estranged from the FBI’s Special Circumstances Division and has been recruited by Global Alliance, a multinational organization aimed at stopping Labyrinth, a calculating killer with unlimited means and a political agenda. Labyrinth delivers a timepiece and a riddle to tip off authorities about his next victim. These victims are high-profile targets: corrupt officials, greedy big business executives and religious leaders. He communicates by social media to minister to a worldwide audience that gains support for his cause. Zuiker, creator of the “CSI” TV franchise, has written a compelling and thought-provoking finale to his Level 26 series. Some readers may become Labyrinth sympathizers, considering him more of a revolutionary than a serial killer.

Carolyn Lessard / AP

Griffiths’ heroine juggles life, new murder mystery

Dr. Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist and single mother, has enough drama in her life. At least the discovery of six skeletons buried along Britain’s Norfolk coastline present her with a professional challenge for a change. But being part of the investigation puts her in constant contact with Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson — the married man who fathered her infant daughter. In Elly Griffiths’ page-turning mystery, The House at Sea’s End (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $25), erosion is at the heart of more than one problem. The sea uncovers the remains and, at the same time, threatens a historic home. Mourning a deep personal loss and facing an uncertain future with Nelson threaten to wear down Galloway. Guessing whether her secret will be exposed is as much a part of the game for readers as figuring out who put the shovel to that sandy grave. Griffiths handles the juggling act well, providing a cozy murder mystery amid a domestic drama that doesn’t paint Galloway as a saint or Nelson as a sinner.

Douglass K. Daniel / AP

Piper Donovan makes her cake and solves crime, too

Author Mary Jane Clark is a master at whipping up delicious nightmares for mystery fans, so a bride who hires Piper Donovan to make a wedding cake had better watch out, because a series of deadly events is bound to follow. The bride in The Look of Love (Wm. Morrow, $25.99) is Jillian Abernathy, who works as the director of the Elysium, a luxury spa and cosmetic surgery center in the Hollywood Hills. Jillian leads a privileged life but is far from happy. In fact, she’s very afraid. Several months ago, someone threw a cup of acid in her housecleaner’s face. Jillian realized the attack was meant for her. When Donovan arrives at the Elysium, a murder takes place. Someone is obviously trying to stop Jillian’s wedding. Unlike heroines in some other thrillers, Donovan doesn’t snoop around in the dark playing detective. Until she and the murderer cross paths, she concentrates on designing the cake. This allows various suspects to take center stage and vent their grudges.

Waka Tsunoda / AP