Anna Travis is determined to follow the example of her beloved and recently deceased father, the revered Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Travis. She is hired by Detective Chief Inspector James Langton to be a member of his Murder Squad out of respect for her father. Wanting to make her father proud, Anna is determined to succeed no matter what the cost.

As she puts in long hours, makes the usual rookie mistakes, and tries to fit in with the rest of the team, she finally begins to find her pace as she is immersed in the case of a serial killer.

The killer has left a trail of six bodies over a 12-year period, and now has struck again. This time, the body is of a young college student rather than the usual prostitute of the past. The change is noted by the Squad, but not understood for quite some time.

As public pressure mounts to find the killer, clues are few and tension among the team beings to build. Langton seems to blow hot and cold with Anna, although as time goes on he begins to see how dedicated and discerning she is. He starts to rely on her opinion more often, but his temperament keeps Anna on edge.

The team determines their prime suspect is a handsome and popular actor by the name of Alan Daniels, known as Anthony Duffy as a child. Unfortunately, all they have is circumstantial evidence. As they dig deeper into Duffy’s past, they find much more than they bargained for, but everything they find is circumstantial.

Langton and Travis take a trip to the United States where they visit San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago and find that their suspect has visited all three cities, filling in their timeline of his whereabouts.

As the net closes in on Daniels, he seemingly takes a liking to Travis. Can the newbie DI hold her own against the cunning suspect, or will she be his next victim?

Above Suspicion is Lynda La Plante's debut novel in the new Anna Travis series and a brilliant beginning it is. With great detail, La Plante takes her time in introducing her characters, building their storyline, and melding the whole team together as the pace of the novel continues to increase.

The reader is deftly drawn into the tension and drama of the Murder Squad, and the growing electricity between Langton and Travis, as they race against time to stop the killer before he strikes again. There is a depth to this story as well as an earthy reality as the suspense builds to the shocking end.

Above Suspicion is well worth the read, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good police procedural and thriller.