Forgotten City by Carrie Smith is the second book in the “Claire Codella” mystery series. Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, December 13, 2016

NYPD Detective Claire Codella is chomping at the bit for a new case. Lieutenant McGowan is determined to keep her out of the news, but she’s about to be back in the public eye in a big way.

Broadway legend Lucy Merchant has tragically succumbed to early onset Alzheimer’s. At age fifty-six, she’s tucked away in the dementia care unit of the ultra-exclusive Manhattan care facility Park Manor. When she falls asleep and doesn’t wake up, her billionaire husband is ready for the funeral, but her daughter demands an investigation.

Only three months back on the job after cancer treatment, Codella finds herself at the center of a high profile case nearly everyone–especially her lieutenant–wants to shut down. But the forensic evidence raises alarming questions and Codella needs answers. To find them, she will have to crack the defenses of slippery administrators, frightened caregivers, and unobliging family members, all while unlocking some of her own dark memories.

Forgotten City, Carrie Smith’s gripping follow-up to Silent City, pits the unrelenting detective against a cast of diverse New Yorkers driven by their desires and ambitions and haunted by their pasts. But can she piece together the truth before the murderer kills again?

This is the second book in the series and I loved it. This is a well-written drama and I like the ease in which it flowed from chapter to chapter. The action was non-stop and the narrative pulled me in immediately, quickly becoming a page turner. The multi-plot mystery was executed in a way to keep me intrigued as to what was happening with this eclectic cast of characters. From the initial death, to hint of murder to the husband’s reaction to caretaker’s angst and to the others who all played a pivotal role in the conclusion to this story. I love Claire’s spunk and determination to face the world and her superior, who is a jerk. The author did a great job in casting culpability towards those involved in the homicide and it was those sneaky little surprising twists that ratcheted this riveting tale up a notch or two. In addition to a great cast, the dialogue was engaging and of course it has the perfect backdrop of New York City. I thought the first book in the series was great, but this one outshines it by a mile. I’m so happy that there is a third book on the horizon and I can’t wait to read the next book in this terrific series.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the author.