Not wanting to entirely give up police work, Zach still works as a consultant, but business is slow. When he gets a call from Charlotte's new police chief, Davis Rowles, Zach is more than ready to come back to work. Mayor Grady Winslow has been receiving threats, Charlotte has had two murders and the killer is taunting the police. Zach and Savannah pack up and head back to Charlotte where the two team up to try and catch a killer.

When they arrive in Charlotte, they are surprised to learn that their accommodations, and anything else they do at the swanky hotel is comped, but they can't figure out why. Savannah enjoys revisiting some of her old pals and neighborhood haunts, but is more intrigued by the puzzle clues the killer has been leaving. In addition, a quick side trip to visit her uncle leaves Savannah with a legacy from her deceased mother and some unanswered questions about her family.

Savannah and Zach work well as a team trying to unravel a killer's puzzle, but when Savannah fits in the final clue, she realizes that she not only knows the killer's identity, but also his last intended victim - herself.

Written by a prolific mystery writer (using a pseudonym),Deadly Row has all the right ingredients for a great mystery, but they don't quite seem to come together. There is actually enough for two plots here between the Charlotte murders and Savannah's family mystery.

Even though Zach is uncomfortable with the special treatment at the hotel, he agrees to it rather quickly, when most former policemen might be more cautious and suspicious. The clues left by the killer are some sort of key to a puzzle, but when Savannah sits down to solve it and the pieces click into place, it is not explained thoroughly enough.

The ending is a little rushed, especially with Savannah's family situation. The plot is clever and Savannah and Zach work well together and complement each other, but the pacing is not as smooth as it might be and there are times when readers will wonder why Zach and Savannah are missing what is obvious. The unnamed "math puzzles" may frustrate puzzle aficionados who will want to know more about them and maybe even try their hand at solving one of Savannah's puzzles.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry