by Dell Shannon
Part of Lieutenant Luis Mendoza, book 18
First published 1971
Lt. Luis Mendoza stares at the case files scattered across his desk at L.A.P.D. headquarters. Each folder contains a crime that defies easy explanation. His detective colleagues share his bewilderment as they work through investigations that seem to lead nowhere. The usual patterns that help solve cases have vanished. Instead, Mendoza and his team confront a string of incidents that challenge their combined experience. Each new development brings fresh complications rather than clarity. The criminals behind these acts have left few traces and fewer motives that make sense. Mendoza must rely on his instincts and methodical police work to untangle the threads. The cases test not only his detective skills but his patience as routine procedures fail to yield results. As pressure mounts to solve the crimes, Mendoza discovers that sometimes the most unexpected deaths hide the simplest truths.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-story, police-procedural
Setting: Los Angeles, LAPD
Period: 20th-century
224 pages · Hardcover · Gollancz