The Missing Witness

December 4, 2023
The plight of Los Angeles’s homeless population undergirds bestseller Brennan’s action-packed fifth adventure for LAPD detective Kara Quinn and her boyfriend, FBI agent Matt Costa (after Seven Girls Gone). Kara is back in L.A. to testify against David Chen, a sweatshop owner and human trafficker who put a price on Kara’s head after her investigations led to his arrest. When Chen is gunned down on the way to court one morning, his driver notices a young woman fleeing the scene. Is she the murderer or a witness? Kara attempts to track down the runaway woman and find out. Before long, someone tries to kill Kara as well, then frames her for the murder of one of Costa’s FBI colleagues. Brennan packs the proceedings with a large cast of potential suspects and a jumble of incidents that eventually reveal themselves to be links in the chain of a full-blown conspiracy to cheat the California government out of funds set aside to address homelessness. All the while, the pace never flags, even as Brennan adds a welcome new chapter to Kara’s backstory. Series fans will walk away satisfied. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House.

December 1, 2023
Like its predecessors, the fifth Quinn and Costa book (following Seven Girls Gone, 2023) incorporates social commentary into a complex thriller containing both a discrete case and a continuation of ongoing series plotlines. This time, prickly LAPD detective Quinn and her professional (and romantic) FBI partner Costa are stymied by sprawling inefficiency, secrecy, and fraud permeating the official channels set up to provide services for the homeless. Brennan vicariously assesses real-life systemic failure through her astute characters and their expository dialogue. A credible depiction of jurisdictional infighting, vendettas, and power plays cultivates a sense of confusion and allows the author the opportunity for some clever sleight of hand disclosures. A whistleblower character narrates in first person, establishing rapport with the reader and personalizing the crisis from a nuanced, outsider perspective. Recaps and flashbacks seek to invite series newcomers, but familiarity with previous books will help disentangle an overwhelming array of characters and relationships. This latest installment will likely satisfy Quinn and Costa's loyal followers and attract those curious about the interplay between public policy, law enforcement, and politics.

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