In the Line of Fire by RJ. Noonan

Good Day!  Mulberry Mischief by Sharon Farrow releases on August 27.  It is the fourth A Berry Basket Mystery.  I will feature Mulberry Mischief on August 30 as part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour (I believe there is a giveaway).  I hope you will stop in on that day.

In the Line of Fire by R.J. Noonan takes readers to Sunrise Lake.  Detective Laura Mori of the Sunrise Lake Police Department gets her first solo case as a detective when she is put in charge of the robbery of First Sunrise Bank.  The heist is similar to a spree of bank robberies that ended three years ago when police officer, Franny Landon was killed while pursuing one of the suspects.  Laura pulls the files for the Twilight Bandit case as it was called and discovers many details are missing.  It seems that Laura touched a nerve when she pulled the files because she finds her tires slashed and a threatening message on her car.  This is just the beginning and Laura learns that Franny received similar threats when she worked the Twilight case.  Her partner, Zion or “Z” Frazier is busy working on a string of petty thefts at Sunrise Pines, a retirement home.  Laura’s case hits close to home for Z since he was Franny’s partner and with her the night she was shot.  FBI Agent Nick Derringer arrives to work the case with Laura because of the association to the Twilight heists.   With the FBIs files, Laura begins to unravel the clues and close in on the guilty party.  Laura needs to work quickly and cautiously, or she could end up like Franny.

In the Line of Fire is the second novel in A Laura Mori Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone since the Where the Lost Girls Go is summarized for new readers.  The mystery is complex and multi-layered. I did feel, though, that the author was trying to put too much into one book.  I like that Laura is intelligent and takes a methodical approach to the investigation.  As a police procedural book, we are taken through the various steps of an investigation.  Witness statements are gathered, evidence collected and tested, reviewing old case files, etc.  I did find some sections a little drier than others and it can be hard to keep track of the various characters.  While Laura is investigating the current bank heist and seeing if it ties to the old Twilight robberies, her partner “Z” is working on a series of petty thefts at a retirement home.  There is an undercover detective looking into corruption within the department as well.  I liked how the tension mounted as I neared the end of the book with Laura was closing in on her suspects.  The author slowly tied everything together.  Not all of it is believable, but it was wrapped up neatly leaving no loose threads.  I thought the tchotchke thefts that aggravated Z were humorous and clever.  If you are an avid mystery reader, you will have no problem solving the case before the solution is revealed.  Laura would be a workaholic if her boss let her (though she does sneak home files).  She spends time with her roommate, Natalie who happens to be dating “Z”.  Laura suffers from panic attacks and feels like she is a disappoint to her parents (her siblings are overachiever types).  I like the cast of characters in the book.  Laura’s boss, Lt. Omak is a dedicated officer and looks out for his employees.  I was baffled as to why Laura wore a uniform.  She is a detective and they normally wear plain clothes.  I wish this element had been explained.  In the Line of Fire is an intriguing novel with a complex crime, a bank heist, corrupt cops, a fetching FBI agent, tchotchke thief and one dedicated detective.  

In the Line of Fire is available at Amazon along with Where the Lost Girls Go.  For those of you in the UK, here is the link:  Amazon UK Link.  Thank you for joining me today.  I will be sharing my review of Amish Amnesia by Ashley Emma tomorrow.  It is the third A Covert Police Detectives Unit Novel.  May you have a joyful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader