‘River of Lies’ by James L’Etoile. Oceanview Publishing, 384 pages, $18.99
The politics of homelessness — from those that resent housing for the displaced of their neighborhood to builders who see that land as prime actual property — flows all through “River of Lies,” the second novel in James L’Etoile’s new sequence about Sacramento police Detective Emily Hunter.
L’Etoile delivers a tightly packed police procedural with a powerful present of plausible motion balanced by an in depth have a look at the non-public lives of his characters.
A number of homeless camps stretch out all through Sacramento, a controversial state of affairs all through town as residents complain about them. However these days arsonists have attacked three camps inside a two-week interval, destroying the meager possessions of the homeless, “town’s forgotten shadows.”
The assaults have been exacerbated with many homeless bodily attacked. Two males are murdered following arson at a serious camp close to the river that has greater than 200 residents. However the victims usually are not the homeless — one is the previous anti-homeless mayor, the opposite a social employee.
The investigation falls to Emily and her accomplice, Javier Medina, each of whom are instantly suspicious of who’s behind the fires. Town orders the camp particles cleared, ruining the crime scene, then builders swoop in.
L’Etoile’s consideration to the detectives’ private lives provides context to “River of Lies.” Because the police detectives proceed their investigation, Emily is drawn to the plight of 8-year-old Willow, whose mom was injured through the assault by the arsonists. Emily is also coping with attempting to maintain her mom secure as her psychological well being declines. The good-looking Javier’s downside together with his mom is totally different — she’s all the time attempting to repair him up with a brand new girl; this time she is perhaps proper.
“River of Lies” takes readers by varied Sacramento neighborhoods, specializing in the rich and the abnormal residents who make up town. L’Etoile’s 2024 novel “Face of Greed” launched Emily and her squad; this sequence ought to be round for fairly some time.