Bloodstream

Carlson is a consistently interesting writer, and this book is another worthwhile effort. Two children are murdered in a rural area of southern Indiana, while real estate speculation and controversy over a historical renovation project provide motives for several potential suspects. The female deputy sheriff, who is the star of the show, is also grappling with her own personal and family problems. All the threads are well integrated into a mostly believable story. The actual solution to the mystery depends on a somewhat less believable premise, but the writing and plotting is good enough to make the book enjoyable in spite of that.