by Dell Shannon
Part of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, book 31
First published 1980
Detective Luis Mendoza faces a wave of brutal crimes sweeping through Los Angeles. Four separate robberies plague the city while two murder cases demand his attention. A young divorced woman has been killed, and a middle-aged woman lies dead under suspicious circumstances. The most disturbing case involves a nine-year-old girl who has suffered a vicious beating and sexual assault. Mendoza must navigate the complexities of each investigation while the pressure mounts from his superiors and the community. The detective works methodically through evidence and interviews, but the cases test his resolve and investigative skills. Each crime presents its own challenges and dead ends. Mendoza discovers that big-city policing requires not just detective work but an understanding of human nature at its worst. The cases force him to confront the reality that some crimes strike at the most vulnerable members of society.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: detective-story, police-procedural, vulnerable-victims
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 20th-century
246 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: child-abuse, sexual-assault, violence