In “Mist and Malice,” the second book in Rachel Howzell Hall’s exciting “Haven Thriller” series, the action starts right up where the first book ends. For those who haven’t read the first book, it could be confusing. I would definitely suggest reading this novel after reading the first one because a lot of the backstory of the characters is delineated in “Fog and Fury,” the first novel.

Sonny Rush, formerly of the LAPD, has moved to Haven in northern California to work for her godfather Ivan and to be with her fiancé Cooper. She and her mother rented a cottage there, and in the first novel, we learned that Sonny’s mother Val has dementia. Val doesn’t necessarily agree that she has a problem, which leads to some of the tension in the story as she wants her independence, but because of Sonny’s investigations, both mother and daughter are in danger, dementia notwithstanding.

That danger becomes more apparent as Sonny continues to investigate Honor Butler’s disappearance. Honor had disappeared in the first book, but showed up on Sonny’s doorstep at the end of the story. Sonny also has a new client, Araceli Rivas, whose husband disappeared a few months ago. The day after Araceli hires Sonny, her husband’s body is found in the woods next to Sonny’s house. Her husband was undocumented, and while Sonny had been hired to find Emiliano, and now he’s found, albeit dead, she is determined to find out who killed him and where he was for the missing months.

Honor Butler, a teenager whose mother reported her missing in the first novel, and who appeared on Sonny’s doorstep at the very end of that novel, is frightened and in need of help. As Sonny investigates Emiliano’s murder, Honor Butler’s disappearance (even though she is now home), the missing goldendoodle that was not recovered in the first novel, and how the myriad characters she meets might be connected, she finds her own safety at risk.

There is also a problem with the local police department. Brady Kwon, the lead investigator at the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department, is someone she finds attractive. Since she found out that her fiancé Cooper was not divorced, she has broken ties with him. But she still loves him, which presents a problem. As she and Kwon seem to be working to solve some of the crimes, she also realizes that he might not be trustworthy.

So basically, Sonny is on her own, on her own to deal with her mother’s failing memory and her mother’s intransigence in terms of dealing with that. On her own to solve the mystery regarding Emiliano’s death. On her own to get Cooper back his dog, and since his daughter died in the first novel, and his wife was arrested for a murder, he’s alone and in need of canine companionship. Ivan, who was her father’s best friend and worked with her father on the LAPD, isn’t there for her.

In fact, there are inconsistencies in her mother’s finances that are coming to light. Sonny has questions, and she needs to get the answers before her mother is incapable of remembering the facts. What she finds out shocks Sonny to her core and causes her to question her whole life, including her departure from the LAPD and her move to Haven.

This is a fast-moving mystery series that relies on a strong female main character who is tough while at the same time ready to have some romance in her life. She’s likable, and far from perfect. And that makes us want her to succeed, because her motives are always the best. There is plenty of humor in addition to the tension, and Sonny’s commentary about Haven, the upscale coastal touristy town, is sharp and clever. There’s the rich side of town along the ocean and the working class side on the east. Altogether, this is a solid mystery series with enough twists and turns to keep the suspense flowing and enough mysteries remaining to save for the next installment.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.