THE CRIMINAL MIND

In this third installment of a thriller series, a retired attorney investigates numerous cases of missing children in a small town.

Construction workers in Cartersville, New York, make a gruesome discovery: wooden boxes with the skeletal remains of young children. New York City teenager Mia Langley, who suffers from multiple personality disorder, recalls someone years ago locking her in a box in the same town. She relays this to her new friend Charlie Malone, a war veteran and bilateral amputee reliant on a wheelchair. He sees a case for retired criminal defense lawyer Nick Mannino, who has worked as an amateur sleuth. The two men and a pair of Nick’s friends (a private investigator and a reporter) dig into missing child cases in upstate New York. One of Mia’s “alters” may have answers, but her longtime psychiatrist is frustratingly tight-lipped. Meanwhile, in Franklin, Tennessee, where Nick usually lives, a would-be burglar assaults his girlfriend, Maureen.Consequently, she stays with Nick in Manhattan; while he investigates the Cartersville case, an associate delves into Maureen’s attack in Tennessee. As the crimes against children seem to stretch decades into the past, myriad surprises await Nick, not the least of which is a secret involving his girlfriend. As in Benigno’s earlier novels, twists are plentiful in these pages. For example, threats against Nick aren’t always predictable, and Mia helps the Cartersville investigation in an unexpected way. Still, the deliberately paced narrative meticulously establishes the cast, including series staples. These character spotlights are just as engaging as the ongoing mysteries; Nick, a widower for roughly a year, worries about how his son and daughter will react to Maureen. Though Nick is an amiable series headliner, Charlie easily steals the show in this installment. He’s stubborn but charming, and he proves both capable and dependable. Even when the situation demands Nick physically carry Charlie, it’s clear the two men are on equal ground.

An indelible cast enhances this sharp, measured mystery.