Solitude Creek: A Kathryn Dance Novel    by Jeffery Deaver Order:  USA  Can Grand Central, 2015 (2015) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Jeffery Deaver can always be counted on for a gripping mystery, whether in his Lincoln Rhyme or Kathryn Dance series. Solitude Creek is one of the latter starring California Bureau of Investigation agent Kathryn Dance, a body language expert who applies those skills in her job. Unfortunately, as the novel opens, Kathryn makes a bad call during a gang activity investigation that gets her in serious trouble. In fact, she's quickly relegated to Civil Division - Bureau entry level with no weapon and no power to make arrests. But this leaves her with time on her hands, leading to her discovery that a tragic fire was not an accident. There tends to be at least one serial killer in a Deaver novel, and this time he sets up situations where the victims' own fears will destroy them. The first one is at a roadhouse called Solitude Creek, where a fire plus locked doors results in injury and death. The killer's musings as he watches the scene on television afterwards are shared with the reader. As Kathryn talks to a victim's relative, she gives a beautiful analogy for recovery from loss and grief. She talks about islands, saying that it's 'like your world's underwater ... But the water goes down and the islands come up. The water'll be there always but you'll find dry land again.' Kathryn is determined to find this killer, despite her demotion. And on the home front, though in a solid relationship with Jon Boling, she's disturbed by her strong feelings for Michael O'Neil who's been spending time with his ex-wife. And her kids are giving her trouble. But, while she's distracted, the killer is moving into her orbit. As always, it all gets sorted, including the gang case, with constant surprising twists and turns of plot along the way. It's an excellent series and this episode ends on a high note for Kathryn that will delight fans. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews