Guilty by Association

Rizk Brothers Legal Mysteries, #2

by

TG Wolff

The brothers join forces once again to solve a murder at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat.

Guilty by Association is the second exciting book in author TG Wolff’s action-packed, full-of-heart Rizk Brothers Legal Mysteries, and it is a riveting tale of intrigue, betrayal, and danger, with a doozy of a cliffhanger finish. When the retired police detective who investigated their mother’s murder dies under suspicious circumstances, the Rizk brothers join forces to dig deeper and discover the truth. 

Only weeks have passed since the brothers reunited in book one, and Seth has returned home to Miami to face an internal affairs board regarding his assault on a crooked coworker. He’s surprised when Jakob, who is the interim Indiana Attorney General, appears at the hearing as his advocate. But even after Jakob’s masterful performance, they’ll have to wait almost two weeks before the board makes their recommendations to find out if Seth still has a career with the Miami Police Department. With time on his hands, Seth agrees to accompany Jakob back to Indianapolis and work for him as a special investigator and look into retired Captain Declan Jameson’s death at the exclusive rehabilitation facility where he’d gone to recover from a car accident. 

The story is fast-paced and complex, with a lot going on under the surface at the rehab facility besides their old friend’s death. Complicating Seth’s inquiries is the shocking arrival in the area of the disgruntled and very angry vice detective he’d pounded on back in Miami, as well as the pressure of Jakob’s struggling campaign for the permanent Attorney General seat. Jakob’s initial success and popularity are being challenged by his former boss and her state senator backer, who are pulling out all the dirty tactics they can to beat him, including using Seth’s troubles to damage his reputation. 

I enjoyed Seth’s undercover story of being the nephew of one of the rehab facility’s permanent residents, who happened to be in a developing relationship with Declan Jameson. His hiring by the facility director to teach yoga classes led to a lot of fun scenes. Seth’s investigation yields positive results, and there are some good red herrings to rule out before the reveal of the actual murderer. Their showdown has a great twist, but that doesn’t hold a candle to the didn’t-see-that-coming cliffhanger ending. 

I recommend GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION to readers of mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.