Pronzini's series sleuth's (Camouflage) vacation in the Sierra foothills is disrupted when an angry individual takes his wife, Kerry, hostage. Clues are scarce, and so is the local help. Expect the best from Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Pronzini.

MWA Grand Master Pronzini has finally given his unnamed hero a name—Bill—but otherwise turns in a lackluster effort with the 37th entry (after 2011's Camouflage) in a series that may have passed its sell-by date. Bill, the semiretired PI, and his wife, Kerry, who are looking for a second home in California's Sierra foothills, are pleased to have found an attractive property in Green Valley, a modest house surrounded by pine woods on three sides with a good view of the valley. Alas, disaster soon overtakes the happy couple. While hiking alone in the woods, Kerry has an encounter with hothead Pete Balfour—who's plotting revenge against a man who has teased him mercilessly and made him a local laughingstock—that puts her life in jeopardy. Illogical actions on Balfour's part ensure that the ending turns out better than it might have for Bill and Kerry. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary Agency. (July)