The straight and not-so-straight lines connecting people and events, thoughts and dreams, form the framework of Weisel’s second book, after The Silenced Women (2021). The story starts with the disappearance of Paul Behrens, a staid middle-school teacher who leaves a message stating that allegations about him and a student aren’t to be believed. When a parent who shouldn’t be at the school is seen leaving Paul’s classroom, and the teacher’s brain-damaged veteran brother tells police that Paul is in the ocean, things rapidly turn scary. While puzzling over the head-scratching case, which enmeshes multiple families, betrayals, and secrets, police officer Eden Somers learns that a serial killer she pursued in the past has her home address and other personal details. Both cases, and the related victims, perpetrators, and investigators—especially the melancholy, philosophical Lieutenant Mahler—will keep readers wondering why love so often goes wrong and how split-second decisions can reverberate far beyond their origins. Philosophy gives way to a lengthy, gripping chase that leaves questions open for the next installment. Mahler will remind Donna Leon’s fans of Detective Brunetti, and those readers should try Weisel’s thoughtful series.
