A reporter based in Austin, Texas, digging into a seemingly random murder, unearths a bevy of dark secrets in Conrad’s mystery-series entry.

The best part of Callie McFee’s post-work evening run is chatting with Barney, an unhoused man who always sits on the same park bench on her route. Thanks to her brother, State, a local homicide detective, she’s one of the first people to hear the tragic news of her friend’s fatal shooting. Just as shocking is the notepad that cops find on Barney, which suggests he was compiling information on Callie herself. This discovery makes the McFees nervous; she’d confided quite a lot to Barney, and one particular tidbit—her power-broker father’s dementia—is one that the family has long fought to keep secret. The authorities surmise that Barney’s death was a mugging gone wrong, but something more sinister may be afoot. As Callie looks into the case, she discovers that he wasn’t the man she thought she knew; he’d jotted notes about other people as well, including Callie’s new “bench buddies,” whom she meets over the course of her investigation. These were Barney’s friends, but if there’s a chance that he uncovered something incriminating about one of them, they’re all potential suspects. One could easily say the same thing about the McFees, however—and indeed, Callie and State do what they can to prevent their father’s condition from going public. Circumstances become more dire when one of Barney’s friends is brutally murdered. Callie vows to get to the bottom of it all, even if it means confronting a merciless killer.

Conrad’s whodunit offers exemplary plotting, opening with a scene that reintroduces series hero Callie and establishes Barney as her warmhearted confidant. It’s not long before there’s a murder, followed by a string of surprises, such as what Barney’s pal Daisy finds when she pokes around his former bench. Callie is a smart and sublimely practical gumshoe; she knows exactly what police do at a crime scene, and although she doesn’t immediately tell State about every piece of evidence she finds, she keeps him informed as much as possible. The seemingly simple case turns increasingly complex, especially after more characters enter the narrative—each new “bench buddy,” for instance, comes with a fresh personality and a backstory that, on occasion, isn’t entirely true. Standouts among the cast include the gruff but reliable State; Gil Morales, Callie’s father’s plainspoken “number two”; and a few suspects whom Callie gradually learns to trust. The book’s abundant dialogue scenes pop, and Callie picks up many details through casual conversation. Her deductive skills are without question, as well; she takes her time deciphering the shorthand in Barney’s notepads, and she notices when people slip up (although maybe not right away). As in the preceding installment, Sins of the Family (2022), the humor is quick and sharp: Gil, for example, sidelines a discussion with Callie by noting, “I need to get you ready for a funeral.” “I’m not that bad off,” she jokes, to which he clarifies, “Not yours.”

A keen, charming amateur detective headlines a snappy murder mystery.

In this mystery sequel, a reporter tries to prove that a suicide—with uncomfortably close ties to her lawyer father—is actually a murder.

Retired politician Buddy McFee is a legendary “fixer.” He uses his legal skills to help people, even with “something a tad shady.” But the Texas attorney is battling dementia, which his reporter daughter, Callie, and his longtime aide have fought to keep secret. Buddy’s latest fix has unforeseen consequences. His client Trevor Birdsong, involved in a DWI, pleads to a felony that costs him his job. Trevor, blaming Buddy for insufficient legal advice, threatens to sue but does something much worse—he kills himself. Now, Buddy fears the suicide will point back to him and ultimately expose his dementia. But if Trevor was murdered, people won’t likely focus on the victim’s lawyer. Buddy enlists Callie and his police homicide detective son, State, to look a little deeper, even to declare the cause of death “undetermined.” It all seems rather dubious until Callie has her aha moment. One clue at the scene is indeed questionable, enough to convince her someone killed Trevor. She quickly locks onto a suspect; all she needs are a motive and hard evidence, the search for which leads her to an obscure film and a possible second murder. Around the same time, Callie further complicates her life when she stumbles on a particularly unsavory skeleton in Buddy’s closet. Digging into her father’s past, along with her amateur murder investigation, puts Callie in the path of a dangerous individual—maybe a person willing to kill to keep her silent.

Conrad’s series protagonist is a believable sleuth. Callie, for example, who previously worked on a murder case in the first installment, investigates crimes using journalistic skills. She does research and utilizes various sources, such as her cop brother and the evidence he’s gathered. The author grounds the hero even further by deftly fusing the murder mystery with relatable family scenes. In one of the best moments, Callie pulls double duty—meticulously examining a key piece of evidence while babysitting State’s twin sons. This sparks an unexpected but amusing turn that ends with the kids’ parents furious at Callie. But as the narrative persistently reminds readers, she’s only human. Callie may frown at the underhanded things her father has done, but she undoubtedly loves and strives to protect Buddy. Similarly, though she went on just one date with Trevor, she initially feels guilt over his supposed suicide, as if she somehow could have prevented it. The memorable supporting cast includes perpetually reluctant-to-help State as well as Callie’s publisher boss and quasi-investigative partner, Oliver Chesney. Conrad, a TV writer and producer, enriches this mystery/thriller with unforgettable morsels of dry humor. Callie, for example, entertains herself at a memorial by “counting man buns and ponytails.” Later, when she asks Oliver for “a minute to think,” he eyes his watch. There’s thorough resolution by the novel’s end, though it does rely heavily on coincidence. Still, the ever resourceful and tenacious Callie rarely misses an opportunity to display her quick-wittedness, as when she uses technology in an unorthodox and clever way.

A stellar recurring hero headlines this exciting and convincing whodunit.