Face of Greed

Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, #1

by

James L’Etoile

Authentic feeling police procedural with a strong investigative team.

When a wealthy businessman is killed and his wife injured in a home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, are tasked with the investigation. The mayor and chief of police, both acquainted with the couple, put undue pressure on the team to close the high-profile case as quickly as possible while also serving as roadblocks to finding the answers they need. What initially looks like a crime of opportunity, a simple home invasion gone desperately wrong, may be something much more sinister. 

Face of Greed is the first book in author James L’Etoile’s 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 the many readers who are struggling with caring for an aging parent. 

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, made more complex with additional subplots, and 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 a genuine California setting. 

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