by Dell Shannon
Part of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, book 2
First published 1981
Lieutenant Luis Mendoza faces multiple crises at the Los Angeles Police Department. A valuable coin collection has disappeared without a trace. Drug dealers operate across his jurisdiction, complicating every investigation. A family of criminal brothers creates additional headaches for his team. Mendoza relies on his skilled colleagues to navigate these overlapping cases, but each investigation pulls the department in different directions. The missing treasure demands careful detective work. The drug trade requires street-level enforcement. The lawbreaking siblings seem to surface in connection with every crime. As Mendoza coordinates his team's efforts, he must balance the demands of active cases with the daily realities of police work. His officers bring their own personal struggles and professional expertise to each investigation. The department functions as both workplace and community, where individual lives intersect with the broader mission of law enforcement. Mendoza discovers that solving crimes requires more than following evidence. Success depends on understanding his team and the complex dynamics that drive both criminals and cops.
Genres: mystery, crime, detective, police
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ensemble-cast, investigation
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 20th-century
219 pages · Paperback · Worldwide