This is a brilliant mystery; all of French’s books are a treat to read. There is very little place: the first half of the books is all procedural because a veteran homicide detective is training a novice partner, and then the psychological emphasis begins, the “why” of a horrific crime and unexplored secrets in the mind of the crime investigators.
Another French novel I read this month (The Secret Place) is set in a Dublin boarding school for girls: the 16-17 year old girls are secretive and manipulative with lies, deceit and gleeful bitchiness that confound the investigation into a murder. In other words, the mysteries of young adult female minds is explored wonderfully.
This is an excellent story of lies and secrets over a lifetime; where doing the right things leads to a host of unexpected (and some expected) complications; the illusive search for justice. The 
This is really excellent writing. At its core, this is a love story, an affair between two women but with complications. First, it is 1920s London, and second, one of the women is married. After a tragic accident, the psychological cost of maintaining a relationship is described vividly, particularly the madness associated with crime and punishment.
Another brilliant 
A psychological mystery thriller by (for me) a new author. A serial killer abducts a 15 year old girl and keeps her for 39 days but does not kill her. The question of why, in other words classic survivor guilt, plagues her in her adult life. This was better than “After I’m Gone” which is a cold case mystery but both are worthwhile mystery books.
The story of Irish immigrants to NY tenements in the 1920s. Parents and siblings die in a fire so Niamh/Dorothy/Vivian at age 9 is loaded onto the orphan train and sent to the mid-west for hopeful adoption which generally becomes indentured servitude. The story is told as 1929-1943 flashbacks as the 91 year old Vivian is telling her story in 2011 to a contemporary participant in foster care. Parts of the story have a somewhat predictable Charles Dickensian feel, especially of the sad story of hopeless and cruel care at ages 9-10 but overall this is a very satisfying read.
What David Read 