SFPD Homicide Inspector Raquel Laing had what might politely be termed a “difficult childhood,” until she was taken in by a loving family at the age of nine. She still lives with her adoptive sister, Dee, an online investigator for organizations all over the world.
Trouble arrives with an all-too-common case for Inspector Laing: the homicide of a drug dealer in a deserted corner of San Francisco. But the everyday rapidly spirals into complications—just as a simple search into the family’s ancestry is throwing Dee into her own world of turmoil.
Raquel’s case blows up far too close to home, thanks in part to the illicit shortcuts she took in the investigation, and while her unique skills are too valuable for the SFPD to suspend her entirely, she is removed from Homicide and put onto the Cold Case Unit.
On the one hand, Cold Case lets her work with her friend and mentor, Al Hawkin. On the other, it leaves her free to look at some disturbing facts about her past—and at the devastating news that Dee has uncovered in her own search for the truth.
Cold cases heat up, the distant past intrudes, and two sisters begin to suspect that they are tied together in ways they never imagined—ways that threaten attention from a powerful and vicious international cartel.
Because the truth is, those who are gone . . . have never truly left.
This is the second in Laurie R King’s Raquel Laing series, and it was written differently from the first novel, which made it more enjoyable for this reader. For example, instead of just dual timelines, the author also wrote in dual perspectives. This wasn’t overwhelming or confusing. The chapter labels made it easy to understand when and who was talking. Having the “Then” and “Now” made the timelines more cohesive and comprehensive for this reader.
I found Raquel’s personality to be inclusive. I felt she was a perfect representation of what a neurodivergent person goes through on a daily basis. Her “What would Al say/do” was a perfect identifying technique that many neurodivergents I know use, with their own person instead of Al.
This second novel is also different from the first in that this time they are looking for a killer as well as her own identity and Dee’s. I was so glad that Al and Dee were still characters and that there was someone from the first novel as well. But I like that Raquel and Dee’s own personal histories were explored.
Overall, I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.
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