I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was a little leery, as the author was unfamiliar to me. I almost didn't buy it for my library, based on the performance of her previous book. But the word must've got out, because I saw an uptick in interest in the previous book, and The Janes got a good review in PW, so I went for it. I was pleased to see it was available as an advance copy, so I could test drive it myself, and the review doesn't lie: Alice Vega is a powerhouse.
First, let me say how enjoyable it is to see Latinx characters in a mystery, as regular people, as victims, as perpetrators, and as heroes. So refreshing! Luna paints a very rich portrait of life adjacent to cartels, and how the cartel activity bleeds into other areas of American life. This low-level dealer is pressured into procuring a car for a cartel member, so he puts pressure on his teen customer, who allows his parents' car to be stolen for the commission of a crime. It was a really interesting breakdown of the waves of influence of a crime that I had never seen detailed before.
Likewise, I have never seen (so acutely, anyway) family members of criminals given the assumption of innocence and understanding of trauma inflicted on them as a result of their association with said criminal. It was an angle of the story I haven't really seen explored. There was not a ton of depth, but there was acknowledgment, and that was a revelation.
Max Caplan is a good enough character - he is the relateable one: he's tired, he has bags under his eyes, he worries a lot, he gets scared. Alice Vega is the automaton: she seems to be fearless, she has intense physical limits, she takes risk after risk, she cares about the well being, physical and mental, of the traumatized girls of the title. And, man, can she handle a set of bolt cutters! My only complaint is that she presents as someone who is unnaturally cool. She has valid concerns about these girls, but she seems to be otherwise emotionless; whereas Max is feeling things very deeply: his worry for his daughter, his concern for the girls and for Vega, his romantic feelings for Vega (I have to go read the first book, which is referenced repeatedly - but I don't think it's necessary to read it first if you don't want to).
It's a cracking plot with plenty of intrigue, rogue agents, weirdly charming crims, flat-out scary enforcers, and a nice little twist (which I kind of saw coming but it's not a deal-breaker). The denouement with two rival cartels stretched the boundaries of likely reality a bit, (view spoiler)
Very solid book, and I am for sure reading the first installment. I look forward to Luna's next book in the series!
First, let me say how enjoyable it is to see Latinx characters in a mystery, as regular people, as victims, as perpetrators, and as heroes. So refreshing! Luna paints a very rich portrait of life adjacent to cartels, and how the cartel activity bleeds into other areas of American life. This low-level dealer is pressured into procuring a car for a cartel member, so he puts pressure on his teen customer, who allows his parents' car to be stolen for the commission of a crime. It was a really interesting breakdown of the waves of influence of a crime that I had never seen detailed before.
Likewise, I have never seen (so acutely, anyway) family members of criminals given the assumption of innocence and understanding of trauma inflicted on them as a result of their association with said criminal. It was an angle of the story I haven't really seen explored. There was not a ton of depth, but there was acknowledgment, and that was a revelation.
Max Caplan is a good enough character - he is the relateable one: he's tired, he has bags under his eyes, he worries a lot, he gets scared. Alice Vega is the automaton: she seems to be fearless, she has intense physical limits, she takes risk after risk, she cares about the well being, physical and mental, of the traumatized girls of the title. And, man, can she handle a set of bolt cutters! My only complaint is that she presents as someone who is unnaturally cool. She has valid concerns about these girls, but she seems to be otherwise emotionless; whereas Max is feeling things very deeply: his worry for his daughter, his concern for the girls and for Vega, his romantic feelings for Vega (I have to go read the first book, which is referenced repeatedly - but I don't think it's necessary to read it first if you don't want to).
It's a cracking plot with plenty of intrigue, rogue agents, weirdly charming crims, flat-out scary enforcers, and a nice little twist (which I kind of saw coming but it's not a deal-breaker). The denouement with two rival cartels stretched the boundaries of likely reality a bit, (view spoiler)
Very solid book, and I am for sure reading the first installment. I look forward to Luna's next book in the series!