Valley of the Lost: 09/22/20

Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany is the second of the Constable Molly Smith mysteries. Lucky Smith, Molly's mother, is leaving the women's center when she hears a baby crying. She finds Miller in the bushes and nearby the body of the woman she believes is the baby's mother.

Much of this novel is Molly and the other investigators hitting wall after wall while trying to track down information about the dead woman. The quickly discover that she's not Miller's mother. With more effort they learn she came to Trafalgar from Vancouver, as did one of the drug counselors, but that's it.

Where the interesting bit of the mystery lies, is with Lucky Smith. Or rather, with Miller. Why is everyone interested in him? Why does the woman from child protective services insist of rehoming him when he's safe with the Smiths?

The dead-ends on the police front show the time needed for their information about Miller and the murdered woman to get out to other agencies, other provinces, and ultimately other countries. One odd choice, I think, is an extended scene with Miller's actual family that gives away a big part of the plot before the climax.

The third book is Winter of Secrets (2009).

Four stars

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