The Janes by Louisa Luna
Alice Vega #2
Mystery
2020 Doubleday
Finished on March 5, 2020
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
The electric follow-up to Louisa Luna’s acclaimed thriller Two Girls Down, featuring bounty hunter Alice Vega and her partner, Max Caplan.
Set against the sprawling canvas of illegal immigration, trafficking, and border tensions, The Janes pulses with urgency and intensity. On the outskirts of San Diego near the Mexican border, the bodies of two young Latinas are discovered. They have no names, no IDs, and no family looking for them. Fearing the likelihood of a sex-trafficking ring, the police and FBI enlist Alice Vega to help identify the Janes—and to locate the others before it's too late.
The stakes have never been higher for Vega and her partner, Max Caplan, as they navigate an increasingly murky world populated with drug lords, crooked officials, and average citizens content to look the other way. Vega and Cap become both the hunters and the hunted as they race to find the missing Janes and prevent anyone else from being brutally murdered, including themselves.
With Louisa Luna's The Janes, Vega and Cap rightfully join the pantheon of the most memorable partnerships in crime fiction in a thriller that could not be more relevant or powerful.
Another winner by Louisa Luna! My first reaction after finishing The Janes was that I didn't care for it as much as Two Girls Down, but as I began to write this review, I changed my mind. I raced through the first book in this series, but I spent nearly two weeks reading this follow-up. I don't think it's a flaw in the writing, but that I was distracted by the TV series, This Is Us, which I've been watching every night at the time I'm usually reading. I still love the character development between Vega and Cap and the mystery kept me guessing, even when I thought the big reveal had been disclosed. There were several twists and turns, and I couldn't keep a handle on all of the secondary characters, but the book is still a winner. I know this book was just released, but I'm hopeful that a third installment is in the works.
I'm so glad you enjoyed The Janes. I still think I liked Two Girls Down a little better, partly because of the excitement of meeting new characters and looking forward to more in the series. I'm waiting for the third book with anticipation. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely header, Les!
Jenclair, if I had to pick a favorite, Two Girls Down would be the winner, but this is a solid series and I'm so happy I discovered it, thanks to you!
DeleteThanks for your nice remark about the header. Trader Joe tulips are always so lovely. I wish I lived closer to a store so I could buy their flowers once a week.
It sounds like I need to look for this series.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I got in on this before there were too many, Kathy. I always feel like I'm playing catch-up with mystery series! Now I can just sit back and wait for the next release. :)
DeleteI almost always like the first book in a series the best. I often hesitate to read the rest of the series as I'm afraid it will disappoint me. I'm glad this book did not disappoint you.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I feel the same way, although the Louise Penny books (Inspector Gamache series) is one series that took reading two or three books before I got interested. This new series by Louisa Luna is gritty and the subject matter is disturbing, but I love the main characters and look forward to another installment.
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