Title: Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan
Quinn & Costa Thriller Book Two
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
The unsolved murder of a young activist leads to the discovery of much darker crimes in New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan’s latest compelling thriller to feaure the young, edgy detective Kara Quinn and the loner FBI agent Matt Costa. This time they work to uncover possible ties to a high-stakes cartel in the Southwest desert.
Something mysterious is killing the wildlife in the mountains just south of Tucson. When a college intern turned activist sets out to collect her own evidence, she, too, ends up dead. Local law enforcement is slow to get involved. That’s when the mobile FBI unit goes undercover to infiltrate the town and its copper refinery in search of possible leads.
Quinn and Costa find themselves scouring the desolate landscape, which keeps revealing clues to something much darker—greed, child trafficking and more death. As the body count adds up, it’s clear they have stumbled onto much 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.
A Quinn & Costa Thriller
Book 1: The Third to Die
Book 2: Tell No Lies
Review:
Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan is a multi-layered mystery. Although this latest release is the second installment in the Quinn & Costa Thriller series, it can be read as a standalone.
FBI Special Agent Matt Costa and the rest of the Mobile Response Team are currently working on a murder case in Arizona. The death of Emma Perez appears to be tied to a copper mining company that might be dumping toxic waste. Agent Michael Harris is working undercover inside the company. Agent Ryder Kim is posing as a college student so he can surreptitiously meet the other agents. LAPD Detective Kara Quinn is on loan to the team and she is working undercover in a local bar. Zach Heller is digging for information that will hopefully provide them with the details they need to put the pieces of this puzzle together.
Costa is working with Joe Molina, the son of the owner of the Southwest Copper Mine. Joe is uncomfortable providing inside information to the FBI. But he wants to prove his father’s innocence. Joe makes no effort to hide his interest in Kara, so she agrees to spend a day with him in hopes of learning new information. Harris is finding it difficult to lie to the workers he is befriending but he continues hoping he will overhear incriminating details from plant employees. Zach believes he might have discovered the key that will break the case wide open, so he feverishly works around the clock to prove his theory. Before her death, Emma confided her suspicions about the toxic chemicals to Frank Block, who dismissed her concerns. He has taken time off from work to see if he can locate the toxic waste site. When their main suspect is murdered, will Costa, Kara and the rest of the team find Emma’s killer?
Tell No Lies is a complex mystery with several twists and turns. The pacing is initially a little slow, but the story soon gathers speed. The storyline is well-developed with story arcs that are quite interesting. Each of the regular characters is likable with realistic strengths and weaknesses. Matt and Kara’s relationship takes a personal turn but their blossoming romance is quite understated. With a shocking plot twist, Allison Brennan brings this intriguing mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion. Fans of the genre will enjoy this newest addition to the Quinn & Costa Thriller series.
