Lynda La Plante is a well-respected veteran of the crime fiction field, with a string of highly acclaimed books and television shows to her credit. Her latest novel focuses on the police investigation into the disappearance of wealthy London teenager Amy Fulford. At first it seems as though she may be hiding out with a friend but as time passes, and Amy’s family begins to crumble under the pressure, Detective Inspector Victor Reid comes to fear that she has been abducted or murdered. This is another smartly written novel by the usually reliable La Plante. The pace is a little slow to start with, but once underway it is a convincing and enjoyable police thriller.

Top Secret Twenty-One
By Janet Evanovich. Headline. 303pp. $29.99.

This is the 25th book to feature the sassy, car-wrecking bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and once again it offers the successful formula of zany antics, amusing family scenes, a shot of excitement and the ongoing romantic tension between Plum and her two potential love interests, policeman Joe Morelli and sexy fellow bounty hunter Ranger. The story revolves around a missing a car dealer, who has been selling more than cars, and an assassin who has come to New Jersey to kill Ranger. As usual the pace is brisk and the story moves seamlessly between laugh-out-loud antics, mild action and Plum’s indecisive romantic misadventures. It is good fun, but there is little to distinguish it from the 24 that went before.

Those Who Wish Me Dead
By Michael Koryta. Hodder & Stoughton. 392pp. $29.99. 392pp.

In his relatively short career Koryta has covered a range of thriller types from traditional private eye stories to crime infused family dramas to tales of the supernatural. His latest combines elements of the western and the action thriller and is one of his best books.When 13-year-old Jace Wilson witnesses a professional hit he is placed in witness protection and hidden in a wilderness skills program for troubled teens while the police try to catch the killers. Meanwhile the hit men know the identity of Jace and set off on a killing spree to find him, even if that means pursuing him into the Montana mountains. This is a gripping and memorable novel.