more murders follow, a police officer and a recently retired officer. Thorne and his team realize the deaths are the work of a serial killer.

The author set this novel against a background of widespread police corruption, and not just the familiar “police-on-the-take” variety. Instead, the author’s fictional version of the Met Police has been rocked by a series of high-profile cases of officers committing and usually getting away with brutal crimes, primarily rapes. (What the Night Brings was inspired by a recent sensational real-life murder case in Great Britain.) The serial killer Thorne’s team is pursuing wants vengeance against officers who have gotten away with vicious rapes. Thorne also discovers that the victims in his case are connected in a way that suggests the case is much more complex than it first seems.

What the Night Brings is a well-crafted procedural, combining solid 21st-century police work with some inspired deduction by the very perceptive Thorne. He and his partner, Nicola Tanner, employ the services of a brilliant hacker (a de rigeur member of any modern-day fictional police force) to uncover a significant lead. Thorne finally has a flash of inspiration while at a weekend department barbecue (featuring overcooked sausage and undercooked chicken) that allows his team to catch the killer.

My reference to sausage and chicken is one of the many examples of humor in What the Night Brings. The book’s various storylines are often grim and depressing, but the author frequently livens them up with wit. None of the characters are outright buffoons, but some have traits the author exploits for laughter. For example, the gay pathologist has a boyfriend but always seems to be on the prowl for new hookups. And, as in any close-knit team, most of the back-and-forth banter involves people laughing with each other rather than at each other.

The novel’s humor is only one aspect of the ongoing character development in What the Night Brings. Several characters, including Thorne, have appeared in the series since the start, and they continue to develop here. The author specifically cautioned readers against revealing spoilers, and I won’t. However, several characters make significant decisions in the book, making them more fully developed. Two characters who appear in the series for the first time—the killer and an eyewitness—also have fully developed personalities in just a handful of chapters, thanks to the author’s skillful writing.

These well-rounded characters and their detailed life stories are a major strength of What the Night Brings. However, they made it more difficult for me to follow the story at first. This book was the first Thorne novel I’ve read. I was confused at times by references to backstories and by the use of British slang terms with which I was unfamiliar. Sometimes, I quickly picked up that Thorne watched soccer matches in his spare time instead of American football games, but some of the food the author described puzzled me. When the investigation kicked into high gear, though, I could follow the developments easily. Still, I didn’t have the emotional connection to characters that readers who have already read several books in the series will have. As a result, some surprising events had less of an impact on me than I’m sure they will have on others.

I have read some five-star reviews of What the Night Brings, and I understand what dedicated series fans may have felt, which in part led to that rating. However, I can only review a book as I experience it, not how others might. I greatly enjoyed What the Night Brings, but the first few chapters were somewhat confusing. As a police procedural with a good dose of humor and a grim storyline, this novel was one of the best of its type I’ve read in some time. As a complete dramatic experience, it was a bit less powerful; hence, a four-star rating from me.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.