Podcast interviews

PI Madison Kelly, the heroine of Breck’s captivating debut and series launch, is spending her self-imposed sabbatical listening to a true crime podcast that focuses on the cold cases of two young women who went missing two years apart from the same San Diego, Calif., neighborhood. She also tweets comments on the cases. One day, she returns from a jog to find a note nailed to her oceanfront apartment door: “Stop investigating me or I will hunt you down and kill you. BITCH. No police.” A strand of long blonde hair is pinned to the note. Madison is puzzled, since she has no open cases at the moment. On a whim, she makes a cryptic tweet and immediately gets a response from someone apparently connected to the disappearances who thinks Madison is involved. Curious, Madison embarks on an investigation, in which she interviews a host of suspects, many of whom, including one victim’s ex-boyfriend, turn out to have hidden and surprising agendas. Solving the case of one victim still leaves the other an intriguing mystery. Readers will look forward to seeing more of this tough, competent detective. Agent: Abby Saul, Lark Group. (Nov.)