Buried / Lynda La Plante.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The first book in a brand-new series by Lynda La Plante, the international bestselling author who "practically invented the thriller." (Karin Slaughter)

Millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes lie untouched in an old Victorian cottage, the hidden legacy of the Dolly Rawlins and her widows.

But the millions are not forgotten. Released from prison, Esther Freeman is determined to retrieve the money. And so too is Mike Withey, Shirley Miller's brother and Audrey's son.

When a fire breaks out at the derelict cottage, with a badly charred body inside along with what looks like thousands of burnt bank notes, it attracts the attention of the police and one young detective in particular, Jack Warr.

Jack's investigation into the fire, and the burnt body inside, coincide with an investigation into his own past. Adopted at birth, Jack discovers his birth father may have been none other than Harry Rawlins, a renowned criminal.

As he finds out the truth about his own identity, Jack finds himself becoming increasingly aggressive, stopping at nothing to find the truth - including breaking the law himself.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

In contrast to La Plante's breakout Prime Suspect books, police procedurals that took an unflinching look at sexism directed against female officers, this series kickoff offers mostly soap opera. Det. Constable Jack Warr, "a strikingly attractive man" with "a naturally attractive physique that looked great in anything," works for London's Serious Crime Squad, where his lack of ambition keeps him from advancing in the force. He gets an opportunity to prove himself after a corpse is found in a burned-out cottage in Aylesbury, along with almost £2 million in cash that appears to be linked to a decades-old case--"the biggest train robbery had ever seen." Warr's ability to focus on the inquiry is hampered by news that the man he considers his real father is diagnosed with terminal cancer; that spurs Warr to seek out his biological father, who just might be a crook with a connection to the train theft. Awkward prose ("Even mumbling through a half-eaten biscuit, Laura thought his mouth looked lovely") is another negative. Nothing in this subpar outing suggests a return to form any time soon. (Apr.)