Face of Greed

Face of Greed is the first book in author James L’Etoile’s thrilling new Detective Emily Hunter Mystery series, and it quickly establishes the main character as a strong, talented, and capable female protagonist. Emily’s story not only hits the ground running with a murder investigation but may also hit close to home with many readers who are struggling with caring for an aging parent or other loved one with early-onset Alzheimer's or dementia.

Besides Emily’s considerable strengths, she is joined by a compatible partner in Detective Javier Medina. The rapport between these two was comfortable, and I felt like a deep-held trust multiplied their effectiveness as a team. Their dialogue was snappy, and their ability to communicate with each other had already progressed to certain “looks” even though they’d only been paired a mere six months.

The author did a great job laying out an authentic feeling police procedural without getting readers bogged down in the minutia. Emily and Javier make all the right moves, and some subtle commentary is sprinkled in as internal dialogue explaining why certain things were done the way they were. Having both the mayor and the chief of police majorly involved in the conduct of the investigation created a constant overhanging shadow, adding extra edginess to the situation. The disconnect between the police administration and boots on the ground compounded the tension. I greatly enjoyed the story, which was made more complex with additional subplots, and I was completely absorbed in trying to solve the case along with the characters. I also enjoyed the Sacramento, California, setting, which was a nice change from the usual locations of LA, San Francisco, or some fictional small town.

I recommend FACE OF GREED to mystery readers who like police procedurals, strong female protagonists, or an off-the-beaten-path but still a genuine California setting.