Tell No Lies (Quinn & Costa Thriller #2) by Allison Brennan
Publication Date: March 30th 2021 by MIRA
Pages: 432
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★★
Agent Matt Costa and Detective Kara Quinn are in the small
town of Patagonia, Arizona investigating the murder of a college
student/environmentalist. A couple years back Southwest Copper was under
investigation for illegally dumping toxic waste, but they didn’t find any
evidence of wrongdoing. However, the death of the student leads them to believe
they were right the first time, and she may have been killed for finding the
evidence.
Human trafficking, drug and weapon running, among other
things figure into this mystery and it’s a dangerous, tangled web. There are
some nasty characters in this one, but thankfully Kara and Matt are on their
tale! Kara is working undercover at the local watering hole as a bartender,
perfect for getting to know the town gossip and players without incurring
suspicions. It’s a boon that she catches the eye of Joe Molina, the son of Southwest
Copper owner. Other members of the team are undercover as well, and it’s a bit
tense wondering if a cover has been blown and who can be trusted.
There was an undercurrent of tension between Matt and Kara
much of which stemmed from Matt worrying about her safety and Kara thinking he
was being overprotective, because they’d slept together. She’s a no strings
kind of girl, completely taken with her job, and Matt doesn’t seem like that
kind of guy.
Matt for his part doesn’t want to repeat the past even
though he’s still very much attracted to Kara. It wasn’t a problem in the last investigation
because Kara wasn’t really working under Matt at the time, but now that she’s
officially a member of their team Matt doesn’t want any impropriety or a deadly
mistake happening because of their feelings.
I love Allison Brennan’s brand of mysteries! Here in Tell
No Lies I cared about all our players! Matt and Kara are at the center of
things, both full of heart and the motivated to get justice for the wronged and
stopping the bad guy. These two are not without flaws, but that made them even
more relatable. I was on the edge of my
seat wondering how all the pieces fit together, and how it’d all play out!
This is the second book in the Quinn & Costa Thriller series,
and you don’t necessarily have to read the prior book first, but you’d miss out
on the start this team and the beginnings of Matt and Kara’s relationship. Tell
No Lies is more police procedural/thriller with a hint of romance, but I
look forward to more of Matt and Kara!
4 Stars
About the author:
ALLISON BRENNAN is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over thirty novels. She has been nominated for Best Paperback Original Thriller by International Thriller Writers and the Daphne du Maurier. A former consultant in the California State Legislature, Allison lives in Arizona with her husband, five kids and assorted pets.
Connect with Allison Brennan:
New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan's newest thriller again features an edgy young female LAPD detective and an ambitious special agent, both part of a mobile FBI unit that is brought in to investigate the unsolved murder of a college activist and its alleged ties to high stakes crime in the desert Southwest.
Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the desert hills just south of Tucson, Arizona. When Emma Perez, a college-intern-turned activist, sets out to collect her own evidence, she too ends up dead. Local law enforcement seems slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and the copper refinery located there in search of possible leads. Costa and Quinn find themselves scouring the desolate landscape that keeps on giving up clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking, other killings. As the body count continues to add up, it's clear they have stumbled on more than they bargained for. Now they must figure out who is at the heart of this mayhem and stop them before more innocent lives are lost.
Brennan's latest novel brims with complex characters and an ever-twisting plotline, a compelling thriller that delivers.
Nowadays, the only romantic suspense author that I read is Sandra Brown. I definitely need to expand that. Looking forward to meeting Matt & Kara!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to go wrong with Sandra Brown, but Allison Brennan has a lot to offer! I absolutely loved her Max Revere series, and this one is shaping up, too!
DeleteI read the first one and loved it. Being undercover sounds pretty intense for them.
ReplyDeleteIt was! I was impressed with Kara's skills. Hope you enjoy this one, too, Sophia!
DeleteSeems like this is heavier on the mystery/investigative side than romance suspense? It's been so long since I've read anything like this but I've seen lots of great feedback for Brennan's books. Glad you enjoyed it, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThat's it exactly, Tanya. Me too!
DeleteI've only read the first book of Brennan's Max Revere series, but this other series of hers is one I also want to try. (Starting with the first book, of course.) :)
ReplyDeleteLove the Max Revere series. The audios are fantastic. Hope you like this series as well! :)
DeleteThat is indeed a tangled web
ReplyDeleteFor sure! :)
DeleteSounds like there's a lot going on but the story sounds good.
ReplyDeleteIt was good. I didn't want to put it down.
DeleteSomehow I didn't get back here after I read this one. It had to do with a new computer and losing my Read Later entries but they showed up this week. lol
ReplyDeleteAnyway I love Allison Brennan. I started with this series but now want to get to her others. Fantastic review!
Anne - Books of My Heart