Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths

In 1951 in Brighton, DI Edgar Stephens heads the case of two missing children--Annie and Mark. Soon, Edgar's worst fears are confirmed when they are found dead in the woods. Annie was the leader of a group of children who put on plays with gruesome fairy tale overtones for friends and family. Edgar and his colleagues, sergeants Emma Holmes and Bob Willis, delve into the children's lives both in and out of school to try to uncover who was responsible. Could the murders have some connection to the killing forty years ago of a girl playing the female Babe in a "Babes in the Woods" pantomime? Edgar's friend, magician and actor Max Mephisto, provides assistance and support to help unmask the killer. This second book in the Magic Men series continues to develop the relationships of Edgar and Max and those around them.