The Janes (Alice Vega #2) by Louisa Luna (#91 in 2020)
When the bodies of two anonymous girls are discovered without ID, Alice Vega, private investigator, is called to San Diego to try and solve the mystery. The anonymous girls are young, abused, and haven't been reported missing by family or friends, and the FBI suspects that these Janes are victims of a human trafficking ring. Alice enlists the help of her partner, Cap, to try and identify the Janes and find any other survivors before it's too late.
This is the second in the series, but it could totally be read as a standalone. Louisa Luna's first book, Two Girls Down, introduces Alice Vega and her partner, Max "Cap" Caplan, as well as some sideline characters such as the anonymous internet hacker "The Bastard" and Cap's daughter, Nell. Two Girls Down takes place on the east coast, and then The Janes shifts the setting to the west coast. Despite being part of the same "series," each book contains an entirely separate case to solve. Realistically, you could read these books in any order and have no problem picking up on characters, etc.
I think I found my new Hercule Poirot in the character of Alice Vega... except Alice carries a set of heavy-duty bolt cutters as a weapon. Imagine the intellectual mindset of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot but in the body of a powerful, scrappy female who should never be underestimated. I will say that the Alice Vega books are much more violent and gory than the Hercule Poirot books, but that's something I actually prefer.
I won't get too far into the details of the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but just expect a LOT of twists and turns (that goes for both books)!
When the bodies of two anonymous girls are discovered without ID, Alice Vega, private investigator, is called to San Diego to try and solve the mystery. The anonymous girls are young, abused, and haven't been reported missing by family or friends, and the FBI suspects that these Janes are victims of a human trafficking ring. Alice enlists the help of her partner, Cap, to try and identify the Janes and find any other survivors before it's too late.
This is the second in the series, but it could totally be read as a standalone. Louisa Luna's first book, Two Girls Down, introduces Alice Vega and her partner, Max "Cap" Caplan, as well as some sideline characters such as the anonymous internet hacker "The Bastard" and Cap's daughter, Nell. Two Girls Down takes place on the east coast, and then The Janes shifts the setting to the west coast. Despite being part of the same "series," each book contains an entirely separate case to solve. Realistically, you could read these books in any order and have no problem picking up on characters, etc.
I think I found my new Hercule Poirot in the character of Alice Vega... except Alice carries a set of heavy-duty bolt cutters as a weapon. Imagine the intellectual mindset of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot but in the body of a powerful, scrappy female who should never be underestimated. I will say that the Alice Vega books are much more violent and gory than the Hercule Poirot books, but that's something I actually prefer.
I won't get too far into the details of the plot because I don't want to give anything away, but just expect a LOT of twists and turns (that goes for both books)!