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Book four in the Margaret Nolan series, my first by this author, (but definitely not my last) — this is a complex, well-drafted police procedural packed with likable and interesting recurring characters, all revolving around a multi-layered plot, itself teeming with action, twists, plenty of bad-guys, and of course, at least one deadly mystery to solve.

To this reader, reminiscent (in tone and the characterization of its strong female protagonist and her cohorts) of the equally excellent Eve Dallas series by JD Robb, the author blends the wit and camaraderie of a team of LAPD homicide detectives, SWAT, crime scene officers and drug squad agents with an unusual murder, a setting both gritty and glamorous, and a twisty, murky, danger-sparked journey to resolution.

When Detective Maggie Nolan, a strawberry-blond former army brat now in her early thirties, is tasked with solving the brutal slaying of a corporate CEO — a crime whose trail begins with a body found in a luxury car in a particularly seedy part of Culver City, LA — it will be up to her and her partner, the more experienced, somewhat fatherly Al Crawford, to make sense of a terrible crime. initially presenting itself with very few clues.

As the story expands to include a new and powerful drug cartel “Angel of Death”; protagonists battling sex and alcohol addiction, PTSD, and mental illness; suspected shenanigans at a Pet Food corporation; a terrifying kidnapping; and a mysterious sociopathic beauty; Maggie and Al, (with the help of Maggie’s colleagues, including her not-so-secret paramour, the luscious Detective Remy Beaudreau), must race the clock to catch a remorseless killer who shows no signs of letting up. Quite the contrary, in fact.

A terrific read and a wonderful new (for this reader) series and author, to explore, this book is highly recommended for lovers of mystery, crime and detective series.

A great big thank you to the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.