On an icy winter night, Andi Eberhart is cycling home when she is fatally struck in a hit-and-run. Her partner Nisha is shattered, and she’s certain that this wasn’t an accident. Andi had been the target of homophobic hate mail, and the threats intensified after the birth of their child.

Detective Giuliana Linder of the Bern homicide unit takes on the case, unraveling the threads of Andi and Nisha’s life together. Could Andi’s brother, who was strongly opposed to the couple’s queer lifestyle, really be responsible? Meanwhile, her colleague Renzo Donatelli investigates Andi’s work counselling young soldiers in Switzerland’s civilian service program. What they uncover is unsettling: while Andi was admired for her honesty and fearless voice, that same outspokenness may have made her dangerous enemies. As the suspects begin to mount, how will the detective duo discover who wanted to silence Andi for good?

A FONDNESS FOR TRUTH is a top-tier police procedural, written with flair by an author who is rapidly establishing her Polizei Bern series as a must-read for crime fiction fans. What sets Kim Hays apart is her deft balance: a smart, absorbing, and well-paced mystery paired with the emotional depth of her central characters.

Writers often lean too far in one direction, either crafting rich characters caught in predictable plots or constructing twist-heavy stories chased down by cardboard cutouts. Hays avoids both pitfalls. Here, she deepens the evolving, nuanced relationship between her two leads while giving space to a strong supporting cast. The past life of the victim is explored with care and complexity, adding further emotional weight. Though Andi appears only through the memories of others, she emerges as the novel’s most vital presence. “Our girl always spoke her mind,” her father remembers when questioned by the police, and Hays allows the character’s voice to continue to be heard.

Overall, Hays addresses contemporary issues such as LGBTQ+ parenting, religious tolerance, hate crimes, and homophobia with compassion and refreshing frankness. Equally impressive is the attention given to the procedural aspects of the case. The result is a mystery that fully engages the mind and the heart.

Kim Hays’s A FONDNESS FOR TRUTH is an intelligent, emotionally resonant novel.

~Kent Lane for IndieReader