Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Audio
Published: March 8, 2022
Source: Print – ARC Paperback via Grand Central / Audio – ALC via Hachette Audio
Summary:
New York Times best-selling author Roy Johansen delivers a thrill-a-minute listen featuring a fearless heroine for hire.
An army vet and former bodyguard for the rich and famous, Jessie Mercado has faced all kinds of danger and always emerged victorious. But one thing this motorcycle-riding private investigator has never encountered before is an incarceration consultant.
Preparing wealthy people to go to prison is big business. When Owen Blake of Mamertine Consulting hires Mercado to find his missing partner, her suspect list is filled with recently released white-collar criminals, a few drug kingpins, and a couple of murderers to keep things interesting.
As witnesses turn up dead and car chases leave destruction in their wake, Jessie learns just how far someone will go to keep the fate of one man hidden. But why? To unravel the dark plot, she teams up with Kendra Michaels, a modern-day Sherlock Holmes, and together they hunt down the lethal secrets of Blake’s company, hell-bent on staying one step ahead of disaster.
My thoughts:
This is the first time I’ve read a book that Roy Johansen has written by himself. I’ve read ones where he has co-written with his mother and I love those, so when I saw that he wanted to further explore one of the recurring characters in their series, I knew I had to read it…and of course I loved it!
Jessie Mercado is one of my favorite characters and I was thrilled to see she was getting her own book…perhaps this is the start of her own series? If so, I am totally down for that. For those who haven’t read any of the Iris Johansen books or the Iris Johansen/Roy Johansen books, have no fear – this is a great book to jump into. It totally stands on it’s own and you really get a feel for who Jessie is – a kick-a** Private Investigator and army vet who will do anything to solve the case she is given. She is tough as nails and doesn’t take kindly when things don’t go her way.
This book is fast-past with lots of action. There are lots of twists and turns and the case itself was quite interesting – a partner was missing from a firm that prepares white collar criminals for their prison terms. I had some theories as to who might have been behind things but of course I did not have all the pieces. And I loved that Kendra Michaels, from the other series Roy writes with his mother, makes an appearance. I love when familiar characters pop up!
I really enjoyed this one and do hope it’s not just a one-off but rather the start of a new series…you know me and my series! I cannot seem to get enough of them!!!
Audio thoughts:
I was thrilled to see that Elisabeth Rodgers was narrating this one. She has narrated many of Iris Johansen’s books and all of the Iris Johansen/Roy Johansen books so she really gets these characters and all the non-stop action. She is just such a great fit for these books.
