TREASURE COAST

Foley’s debut police procedural thriller,set largely on a barrier island off Florida’s Treasure Coast, follows a Miami police detective as she attempts to solve her best friend’s gruesome murder.

Lisa Owens, whose fiance’s death was never solved because of police ineptitude, became a cop, in large part, to make sure that others never experienced the pain and uncertainty that she did. Now she’s an overworked homicide detective whose boss is desperately trying to get her to focus on developing a personal life, apart from her career. Owens does take time off—and uses it to investigate the brutal killing of her best friend, Dorothy Jensen, a beloved mentor who was her middle school teacher years earlier. The retired educator lived in a condo on Stypman Island, a haven for people escaping the cold winters of the northern United States, where she was found beheaded with her eyes and tongue cut out. The meticulous Owens eventually joins forces with local cop Kim Witherspoon, whose law enforcement experience has been nothing short of nightmarish, as she’s been forced to work for a sexist, antigay, and morally bankrupt chief of police. The two women soon discover that Owens’ best friend’s murder is linked to drug trafficking, blackmail, and multiple other deaths. Numerous noteworthy elements fuel Foley’s narrative, including an impressively diverse cast of secondary characters, including a politician with twisted sexual proclivities, a naïve marine biologist, and a sleazy realtor. They effectively flesh out the multilayered mystery, and the author also explores environmental issues, such as global warming and marine plastic pollution, with subtlety and compassion. Infrequent moments of social commentary add brass-knuckle impact, as well: “He’s greedy, he doesn’t believe in climate change, he’s a racist, a misogynist, and he’s homophobic…He’s like half the men in Florida.”

A strong start to what could be an entertaining series featuring a well-developed, sympathetic cop protagonist.