by Dell Shannon
Part of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, book 23
First published 1973
Christmas arrives in Los Angeles, but the police department stays busy with a collection of strange cases. Lieutenant Luis Mendoza faces his most difficult investigation when Lila Askell turns up dead. The young Mormon woman was traveling home for the holidays when someone strangled her and dumped her body from a moving vehicle. While families across the city trim their Christmas trees and wrap gifts, Mendoza works through the festive season trying to solve this baffling murder. The devout victim seemed an unlikely target for violence, making her death all the more puzzling. Mendoza must piece together the final hours of Lila's life and discover why someone wanted her dead. The case tests his detective skills as he searches for answers in a crime that defies easy explanation.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, baffling-crime
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: Christmas
224 pages · Hardcover · Morrow