Starfire by Charles Sheffield

 

This is a sequel to "Aftermath".  It's many years after the events in the first book and it's approaching the time that the next disastrous wave from the supernova will hit the Earth.  A vast defense shield is being built in space to deflect this more deadly particle storm.

 

A series of murders is being committed on the space station coordinating the construction of the shield.  It's getting to the point it's interfering with the work.  Arrangements are made to have Dr. Guest (the convicted serial killer in the first book) help the investigation, using his brilliance and ability to conceive the mind of a serial killer.

 

Things aren't going well for the defense project in other ways.  The particle storm is showing up sooner than originally predicted and in an unexpected form the shield was not meant to handle.  There's also evidence being discovered suggesting the supernova was not an unplanned natural event.

 

We learn more about Dr. Guest's past serial murders, how that fits into his psychology and what that has led to today.

 

Plus, in this book we have a new crazy man - a very powerful industrialist / dwarf with a fascination with dinosaurs.  He and a sleazy politician both see personal gains to be made on an Earth further devastated if the shield doesn't do its job.

 

There's a lot going on and much science involved.

 

In this book the "disaster fiction" takes a smaller role being pushed aside by mystery and more SF.