In the sixth novel of her Ella Marconi mystery series--the first published in the United States--Australian crime writer Katherine Howell performs an intricate juggling act with three alternating stories. Paramedics Jane Koutoufides and Alex Churchill race to the scene where a man has crashed his car into a telephone pole. The driver, Marko Meixner, appears fine physically but is convinced that he is being followed, and that he's in grave danger. With no option but to leave Meixner in the waiting area of a crowded hospital--at the triage nurse's direction--the paramedics next encounter their victim under a train, dead.
Detective Ella Marconi and her colleagues must determine whether Meixner's death is a murder or a suicide. Marconi is convinced he was pushed, and has several potential suspects, but her cost-cutting supervisor believes Meixner was psychologically unstable and took his own life. If Marconi can't establish solid proof quickly, her boss will reallocate the team's manpower to clearing cold cases.
Meanwhile, Koutoufides is dealing with her ex-husband's jealous wife, who is becoming increasingly violent, going so far as to fabricate a serious assault complaint against Koutoufides to her employer. And Churchill's teenage daughter is acting out at home and school; one night when Churchill is on night shift, she runs away.
Howell skillfully keeps these plot knives in the air, maintaining an engagingly quick pace, high suspense and well-concealed twists. One of the threads' conclusions feels a bit forced compared to the other satisfyingly smart outcomes, but the slight bobble doesn't diminish the overall enjoyment of this riveting, coordinated performance. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts