Book Description:
In an uncertain future where the Impures—genetic
defectives—are banished to a ghetto territory, Detective Ina Stone and her
rookie partner, Sam Fujimoto, constantly fight for survival. But when a
murdered Impure is discovered in the projects with only a business card in his
pocket, the clues lead them into the shadowy underworld of black market trade
and human trafficking. After Sam is kidnapped by the Yakuza crime syndicate,
Ina must hide her own defect to go undercover as a human trafficking victim.
Accompanied by a Tebori master and a new detective with her own secrets, Ina
must find a way to free Sam without exposing his role in the investigation, or
getting herself killed in the process.
defectives—are banished to a ghetto territory, Detective Ina Stone and her
rookie partner, Sam Fujimoto, constantly fight for survival. But when a
murdered Impure is discovered in the projects with only a business card in his
pocket, the clues lead them into the shadowy underworld of black market trade
and human trafficking. After Sam is kidnapped by the Yakuza crime syndicate,
Ina must hide her own defect to go undercover as a human trafficking victim.
Accompanied by a Tebori master and a new detective with her own secrets, Ina
must find a way to free Sam without exposing his role in the investigation, or
getting herself killed in the process.
Excerpt:
He lay face down on the pavement, his shoes missing, blood staining the concrete and forming an unlikely halo around his head. It was a fresh kill, and I was surprised it had been called in so quickly. A death like this could go
unnoticed for hours, if not days, especially down here in the Rainbow Alley
projects.
unnoticed for hours, if not days, especially down here in the Rainbow Alley
projects.
I felt a movement at my elbow. Melker had arrived with a new tech, Roselli, and they scurried to place screens to protect the integrity of the scene. I looked down at my feet. I hadn’t even put on protective footwear. I stepped back gingerly.
“Couldn’t wait for me, eh?” Melker tugged me gently out of the way. “Get your suit on before you contaminate my crime scene.”
He was right, of course. I should have waited until his arrival. I stepped over to the open tailgate of the Death Examiner wagon and dug into a supply box, pulling out a paper suit, shoe protectors, and a face mask. It was the middle of the night and I was dead tired. I perched on the wagon’s tailgate and put on the
protective gear. My stomach churned while I waited for Melker’s permission to
return to the body.
protective gear. My stomach churned while I waited for Melker’s permission to
return to the body.
I felt the bile in my throat rise and I bolted around the side of the van, where I heaved my dinner into the gravel and dirt. I then pressed my cheek against the cool glass window and took several deep breaths. Damn, that was close. I swiped my mouth with my sleeve.
The two patrol guys who had answered the call were standing at the tailgate, waiting for me. They gave me a funny look as I emerged from behind the wagon.
“You OK, Ina?” Officer Jim Lee asked, his notebook in hand.
I nodded but I didn’t feel fine. My hormones were raging. I was only a couple of months in, but this pregnancy was knocking my socks off. I tucked my withered hand into a pocket. “What’ve you got?”
Lee looked down at his notes. His expression was passive, as if he saw this kind of thing all the time. “Called in at one o’clock, about an hour ago. I was here within four minutes of the call. Chuy was right behind me. The guy wasn’t dead yet.”
“He wasn’t?” I was surprised. I had been called out as a detective to an Unattended Death.
“No paramedics?”
“No paramedics?”
“By the time they got here, he was gone.” Lee fingered the pages of his notepad, then closed it with a snap of his wrist.
“So they left? I must have just missed them. I was here…”
“Within ten minutes,” Lee said, “I know. They got a radio call and took off. Sorry.”
I glanced over at Melker. Hadn’t he finished with the screens yet? The aged streetlight only partially illuminated the scene, coloring everything with an amber hue. I saw the new tech setting up a spotlight. It would be a few more minutes before I’d be allowed back over to examine the body.
My Review
We have upped the ante here, with Ina trying to deal with a pregnancy she's keeping secret- and boy is it kicking her ass- and her partner recovering, she's got all she can handle, but the murders don't stop. This one jumped right into where the first book left off, and there's no stopping. Ina knows Sam needs to get his pieces back into the puzzle, but his recovery is more important and Ina will do whatever it takes.
There's really some great world building with this series. There's even more put into the differences between the Pure and Impures of the world. Ina is trying to help solve the murders of the pure. And trying to come to terms with becoming a mother. And then she is swallowed by the Yakuza chaos. Their power and reach and influence is beyond anything she comprehended. And then the unthinkable happens, she's kidnapped and almost killed. And even worse, but I can't go there. But Ina will do whatever it takes to save those she loves. And human trafficking is never an easy subject.
The mystery and suspense of this book is killer. I am wowed with this author's ability she uses to create this world. There's a very wrapped up ending but there's still more to come. There's too many things that still have me contemplating just how much the Yakuza are really related in, especially for the coming changes for Ina. I am seriously becoming a fan of this author's writing. The mystery and suspense and the dark gritty feel to her books are just great. I definitely look forward to book three! 5 PAWS!!
Bio:
Award-winning author Liah Penn is an attorney who practices law near New Orleans, Louisiana. A former prosecutor, she has worked in a major metropolis, an Indian reservation and on the Mexican border. She is an accomplished artist and is active in numerous arts organizations and boards in the New Orleans area.
Author Links
Buy Links
And if you wanna see my review for book one, check it out here!
http://happytailsandtales.blogspot.com/2015/11/pure-death-pure-justice-by-liah-penn-w.html
