Half Moon Bay by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman

Half Moon Bay is the third installment of the father and son team series featuring Alameda County Coroner Clay Edison.  Clay is working the graveyard shift to best participate in the care of his newborn without disrupting his wife’s work schedule.  In his capacity as Deputy Coroner, Clay is called to a local park on the Berkley UC campus where the decade old remains of a baby is found.  To complicate his work, protestors in true Berkley tradition are demonstrating against building within the park.

Clay’s investigation leads him in two directions.  One in following the clues to identify the body and relatives of the dead child and one from a local man who thinks the corpse could be his long lost sister.  Clay becomes entranced by both paths and methodically follows the vaguest of clues to conclusion.

It is hard not to compare Clay Edison to Alex Delaware from Jonathan Kellerman’s mainstay series.  They both have that intelligence and tenacity that make them follow the most subtle clues.  The pacing and building of suspense is classic Kellerman.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced look.