99 TRUTHS

An FBI profiler tasked to help solve a grisly murder gets push back from a hard-nosed detective in charge of the case in this procedural thriller.

In Lacefield’s latest book, FBI agent Frances “Frankie” Johnson and the Charlotte, North Carolina, police work to solve the brutal slashing, rape, and murder of 25-year-old Lianna Wakefield-Bradenton in her apartment. Lianna’s father, the local district attorney, is “close, like family,” with Detective Deke Deaton, the former Marine heading up the case. Deke quickly names Lianna’s playboy husband, Stewart Bradenton, as the prime suspect, but Frankie cautions her team leader not to rush to conclusions, “charging in like a bull on steroids.” “Justitia Extremum,” Latin for “justice finally,” written in blood on Lianna’s wall, tells Frankie the crime was personal, not random, and she questions if it could be revenge for a criminal conviction the victim’s father oversaw. One of the profiles Frankie develops matches personal trainer Joe Archuletta to a tee. Although supported by his girlfriend, he may have been Lianna’s lover. Then there’s Ripley, owner of the bar where Lianna was last seen; his eyelid twitches when Frankie interviews him. Deke admits Frankie’s profiles seem accurate, but in terms of an arrest, “he didn’t want anyone taking credit for what would be his ultimate victory.” Yet he enjoys eating Frankie’s homemade shrimp scampi and sitting on her couch with her cat as he notices that the “woman had curves.” In this engaging series opener featuring a kick-ass hero, a mix of ethnicities is represented. Frankie herself, almost 30 years old and said to scare off men, is a blend of African American, French Cajun, and White European. Her father was a mean drunk, and her close colleague and confidant is gay, handsome Ben Andrews. Conversations ring true, as does police work. But giving one suspect a sideline as a professional knife thrower is a bit too much on the nose, and thriller aficionados may discover the killer early on.

A worthy origin story featuring a driven, cat-loving, complex FBI agent.