MANTIS

An investigative reporter and a forensic pathologist work together in this 1960s-set thriller.

A torso washes ashore on a California beach. Medical examiner Sara Poole connects this homicide with another recent murder. The victims, both male, died during sex and are covered in bites (evoking the title). Just weeks ago, Sara investigated a string of murders in Arizona, where she met reporter Deanne Mulhenney. The women, whose friendship might morph into romance, reunite to track the killer. The murders continue, and the clues get stranger. Sara believes the bites are human but the teeth aren’t real (dentures, perhaps). Meanwhile, a shocking headlining story—Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination—sidetracks Deanne, although she helps Sara as much as she can. The narrative gives readers an early introduction to Alena, who’s committing the murders while working for a crime family that may turn on her, worried that she’s “freelancing.” Regardless, Alena targets Deanne and Sara once Deanne’s articles link the killer’s various homicides. Zell’s energetic sequel to True Creature (2019) bounces among perspectives. Zell ably develops the heroes’ delightfully complicated relationship; there’s definitely love but not necessarily commitment. Alena, however, is this book’s most indelible character. A WWII experiment has twisted her family lineage, and she struggles with a condition that makes her both sympathetic and terrifying. She’s even involved in a too-brief subplot—dissension among the villains—that could fill a novel on its own. Alena’s murders are, of course, violent and, unsurprisingly, sometimes graphic. Her very presence generates suspense, particularly in the final act, when it’s clear she’s after Sara and/or Deanne.

A fast-paced thriller with superb new and returning characters.