by Dell Shannon
Part of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, book 7
First published 1994
Lieutenant Luis Mendoza faces multiple cases that stretch his LAPD squad thin. A bank robber has escalated to murder, killing a police officer and earning top priority status on their investigation list. Meanwhile, other violent crimes demand attention. A teenage shooting victim needs justice. Two college students die in what appears to be random violence. On skid row, a homeless man turns up murdered, but his death reveals unexpected connections to major robberies and stolen money. Mendoza must navigate between high-profile cases and seemingly minor crimes that prove more complex than they first appear. The lieutenant discovers that appearances deceive, particularly when a vagrant's murder exposes links to significant criminal activity. As the squad works multiple investigations simultaneously, Mendoza balances the pressure of catching a cop killer with solving cases that matter just as much to the victims' families.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: complex-mystery, multiple-storylines
Setting: Los Angeles, LAPD
Period: contemporary
336 pages · Paperback · Chivers Large print (Chivers, Windsor, Paragon & C
Content warnings: murder, violence