I’ve discovered a new author and series I really like! I haven’t read the first book, but will definitely have to do that. I really like the strong main character, Alice and her partner Cap. They are a great new crime solving duo.

I absolutely loved Luna's debut novel for adults - Two Girls Down. As soon as I finished it, I hoped that Lunda would write a sequel - I just loved the dynamic between the two central characters. So needless to say when I got the opportunity to read an early copy of this one, I was so excited! The sequel is worth the wait and once again brings Alice Vega and Max Caplan together to work a case.

Set primarily in and around San Diego, Vega is brought in to consult on a case involving two Jane Does (the titular Janes) who are found with similar wounds and other evidence linking together the young Mexican teens. Vega asks Cap to leave Pennsylvania to join her and what follows is a fast-paced investigation that uncovers layers of a plot. There's humor, plenty of excitement and some genuine surprises to the plot. I especially love the relationship between Cap and Vega - the banter, the dialogue and their thoughts all help balance this otherwise dark story of underage sex slaves, illegal actions and plenty of violence. The ending is especially satisfying - and I absolutely can't wait for a third installment! I hope the wait isn't as long! I just love what Luna has created here - Vega is a great heroine, she is tough, smart and makes a great team with Cap. I can't wait to see who they will help next!

Alice Vega is an enigma, you are never quite sure if she is a vigilante, mercenary, or just an investigator on a job. You will see her in so many situations and her adaptability and unerring focus on her goal keeps you on the edge of your seat. Notice I said on "her" goal, this may correspond to her clients goal, or may be a step further. Cap is such a human accompaniment to superhuman Alice that you fear he will be lost in her dust. However Cap emerges as his own person and does not hesitate when his moral compass directs him. The issue addressed in the book, human slavery is real and tragic. It is portrayed will all the layers of complexity that exists. The really advocates and defends someone so marginalized. My only regret in this book is that I had not read the first book in the series. I plan to remedy that overbite soon.

I greatly enjoyed "Two Girls Down", the first book in the Vega series, but this one fell short for me. While Two Girls Down felt grounded and realistically gritty, The Janes read like a blockbuster action movie, with grizzly violence and almost outlandish feats. I can understand that Vega and Cap are good at their jobs, but Luna has Mary-Sued Vega in this book. She is capable of anything, is not bothered by anything physical, and can almost seem to predict the future. Cap follows her blindly, and while I enjoy their partnership, I enjoyed it a lot more when he was more of an equal partner and less of a puppy following the leader.

The plot was also underwhelming. The book felt incredibly long, and a lot felt dragged out. There was very little tension or urgency. I also did not appreciate the storyline on the Mexican cartels.

I'll probably continue to read the Vega series because I enjoyed the first book so much, and despite this book, I continue to enjoy Vega and Cap. But this book definitely fell short for me.

The true joy of this book is observing the relationship between the investigative team of Alice Vega and Max Caplan ("Cap") . The bodies of two " Jane Doe's " are discovered in the outskirts of San Diego … one in the backseat of a stolen car and the other discarded in a ditch …. both appear Hispanic … and no clamoring families are present …. the girls are voiceless and without advocates. Clutched into the hand of one victim is a mere scrap of paper with Alice Vega's name scrawled.. The local police and FBI are apparently clueless (really?) …. Alice's off the books aid is sought out by the FBI. Alice has a known history of finding the missing. ( apparently borne out in Luna's previous book: Two Girls Down … admittedly which I've not read). Alice is a force to reckoned with …. tuff, hard-nosed, determined with skill and intellect …. extremely fit and an enthusiast and accomplished in the art of muay thai.. She's not afraid to kiss ass and collect names later. She enlists the aid of "Cap" … a complement to Alice … an ex-cop, scarcastic, level headed and often the voice of reason.
The characterization of the two is beautifully painted …. both being complex and yet flawed … and endearing in different ways. Luna provides a masterful twisted narrative that progressively ratchets up tension in an unrelenting fashion to culminate in an exhilarating denouement. The mystery and action is both captivating and riveting. The theme of sexual trafficking of young girls is handled tastefully but accurately without graphic scenes. …. and yet, insightfully illustrating the gravity of the situation. The backstory is seamlessly weaved into the fabric of the story … thereby allowing the full enjoyment of this novel as a stand alone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing an electronic Proof in exchange for an honest review. Looking forward to the further cases of Vega & Cap. (at readersremains.com)

In the second outing featuring Alice Vega and Max Caplan, the pair of private investigators are hired 'off the record' by the San Diego Police Department and DEA to look into the deaths of two young Latina women. The bodies were dumped separately but with similar wounds...and one was clutching a scrap of paper with Vega's name written on it.

Vega and Caplan make a great team even though their styles are so different: "She had a tendency to announce what she was thinking only when it was fully formed, the opposite of what Cap had been used to as a cop, pitching whatever waltzed into his head." Vega believes men are motivated by sex, drugs or money, and perhaps all three, while women are motivated by love--leaving Cap to wonder if that's true for Vega herself. Love the sexual friction between this odd couple!

The action in this adventure is non-stop, edge of your seat. Once they solve one puzzle, an even more confusing one opens up. Where will this all lead and who will it bring down?

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I'm looking forward to reading more of the crazy exploits of Vega and Caplan!

The Janes took off on page one and never stopped. Vega and Cap are an amazing team of detectives that use totally unorthodox methods to find missing people. And I love their methods! I especially love that Vega is even more badass than Cap. Female power! In this case, they are asked to find some young girls that are being forced into the sex trade. There were so many twists and turns in their case, it became hard to keep all of the characters straight. And in the end, I just want more Vega and Cap!

Alice Vega is back! I was so impressed with her in "Two Girls Down" and was thrilled to see that Luna had written another book about Vega and Cap. The lives of young girls are at stake once again -- this time due to a sex trafficking ring. Like Alice Vega #1, this second book is gritty and the twists and turns will make your head spin. Vega and Cap color outside the lines, but they get results. Reminds me of Jack Reacher. In the background lurks "The Bastard." Very mysterious. . .

Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I remember enjoying Two Girls Down, so I had high hopes for this one and it didn't let me down! Though it was slow to start once the author laid out the foundation she wammys you with a wild ride as she puts the pieces together of what happened to the two Janes and who was involved.

It's starts off with the two Janes being brought in and one of them had Vegas name in her hand. The authorities which was the regular law, plus the DEA decide to bring in Alice Vega to see if she can help. It's an off the books sort of offering and we all know that isn't going to go well. She wants to bring in her partner Max Caplin and they agree.

The thing is Vega is a bit to good at her job and she is fast at it and before some of those involve know it she has already almost found out what has happened. Then her and Cap end up on the other side of the law and are being the hunted, but by who exactly?

I feel like this book is hard to explain without giving away something important that you need to find out on your own so I won't say any more.

Vega is soon becoming one of my favorite characters. She is kind of strange and mostly a loner, she likes her space and she does her job well. She doesn't need much to survive and can seem to get out of almost any situation and I love what she carries in her trunk. (You just have to read to find out) ;) She seems to really like Max Caplin though at times you kind of wonder about that. Max is pretty cool too. He has a older teen daughter who went through some things in the previous book that has her kind of rebelling a bit at the beginning. Nell and Cap are a good team though as father and daughter. Cap likes working with Vega and he has come to admire her technique among other things.

Though I did think this book was a bit slow to get going (about the first 40%) after it does get going it's one thing after another that really keeps you wanting to read and find out exactly what happened to the Janes, who was involved and what is going to happen to those involved. I for one can't wait to read another Alice Vega book!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good crime mystery novel. Even though it's could be a stand alone read there are a few connections with the first book as some things are mentioned so you might want to start with the first one. :)

4.5 stars
This review will go live on my blog Thursday the 16th on Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!

Private Investigator Alice Vega is brought in as a special consultant when two unidentified teen girls (Jane Does) are found dead on the outskirts of San Diego. She brings along her associate, former police detective Max Caplin, and the two quickly discover that the girls were part of a sex trafficking ring. Now the race is on to find out how many more girls are being held and save them before it's too late.

This is the second novel in a series. It serves fine as a standalone but there are some backstory references that are never made completely clear. It works to the advantage of the story adding an extra layer of mystery and intrigue. With a good amount of plot twists and heroes who tend to operate in a gray area The Janes makes for a pretty good read.

Alice Vega is stoic, reckless and relentless with a single-minded purpose - to protect and avenge young girls who have been abused and exploited. She isn't an easy character to get to like. As her associate Max Caplin says, "...if a man tried to pull what you're pulling he'd be branded an asshole immediately." But Vega is, without doubt, a butt-kicking avenger!

Author Louisa Luna has created a tough female character that can stand toe-to-toe with such male contemporaries as Jack Reacher or Robert B. Parker's Spenser. The more obvious comparison would be the Burke series by Andrew Vachss since Burke dealt mainly with child abusers and molesters.

If your reading tastes run to unapologetic warriors out for vengeance then you'll almost certainly be a fan.

There is adult language, violence, and some sexual situations (not graphic).

***Thanks to NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and author Louisa Luna for providing me with a free digital copy of this title in exchange for an honest review

The Janes by Louisa Luna is Book 2 in her Alice Vega series.

"The bodies of two young women are found on the outskirts of San Diego. Nobody knows who they are and no one is looking for them. Fearing their deaths are related to human trafficking the SD police call on Vega help find out who they were and if there are more missing girls. Vega gets her partner, Max Caplan, on board and they start looking. Cartels - brothels - corrupt law enforcement - blackmail and a lot of people that don't want them to succeed. Will they find any missing girls?"

I thoroughly enjoyed Two Girls Down (Vega #1) and this book is even better. I loved to watch Vega do her thing. "You do you" We get to see more of Vega here. She changes and grows. But she still does what needs to be be done to find what needs finding. Max is trying to make some decisions about his job and family after the events of the first book. It's interesting to see him balance the job with his obvious infatuation with Vega and worry about his daughter. And so many great characters here - good guys and bad guys. (You do not want to meet Rafa anywhere) The story moves quickly and Vega and Caplan chase lead after lead. Vega is not really worried about rules of evidence or what might be legal to get the job done. Who knew bolt-cutters worked like that?
I hope that we get more of Vega's back story in future books.

I had a hard time putting this book down. Luna's fast-paced writing and just watching Vega do her thing makes this a book you should definitely pick up. Great read from Louisa Luna!

As in her other previous book, Louise Luna, keeps you reading from the first sentence to the end with many twists and turns. Alice Vega, a feisty PI working with the SDPD gets another case and involves Max Caplin (Cap). The case is an underage female trafficking case where two young murder victims are found a couple of days apart, both are around 14 and have IUD’s that are from the same manufacturer and only 5 serial numbers apart. Who is doing this to these young ladies, read and find out. You won’t put down the book!
#netgalley. #TheJanes #louiseluna

Don’t start this book unless you have a free day ahead of you, because once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down! It’s exciting from start to finish.

Private investigators Alice Vega and Max Caplan team up once again to help with an FBI investigation. Almost immediately they uncover some serious clues into the deaths of two young girls. Then, inexplicably, they are told to cease their investigation, which only makes them more determined to see it through.

This story was one wild ride through sex-trafficking, Mexican cartels and dirty police. Every time I thought the investigation was nearing the end, Vega would come up with some new clues that put another twist in the story. It ends with a bit of mystery that I hope is a clue to Luna’s next book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

The Janes by Louisa Luna is the highly anticipated sequel to her stellar breakout hit, Two Girls Down, the first book in her Alice Vega series. In the sequel, we follow private investigators Alice Vega and Max Caplan as they search for the truth behind the appearance of several women's bodies discovered on the outskirts of San Diego. Fearing the victims are related to human trafficking, Vega stops at nothing to discover the identity of The Janes, suspecting the possibility of more missing girls.

With stories like this, Louisa Luna is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller authors! The writing is clean, the story is fast-paced, and the characters are well developed. Luna includes enough twists to keep you guessing, while also providing jaw-dropping finales. I highly recommend this series!

Wow Alice Vega is still one of the most BA heroines I've ever read. There is the legal way to do things and then there is the Alice Vega way to do things. Alice's way gets more results.

I loved every minute of this book.. Alice's take no prisoners alpha personality works perfect to her partners Max's beta, lets think things through, but knows when to let Alice do her thing and have her back.

Still floating on a high after this book and hope there will be more..

The Janes are just that: Jane Does found on the fringes of San Diego, no apparent identities or grieving families looking for answers. Federal officers and local San Diego PD stretched thin; dreading the possibility of a human trafficking ring outsource the case to private investigator Alice Vega and by extension her partner Max Caplan. Vega is known for her knack of finding the missing but can she identify the two Janes found – and potentially other girls? With no holds barred Vega and Cap are determined to identify the Janes and find the others before their time runs out.

Although The Janes is the second novel in a series Two Girls Down isn't a required prerequisite. I do believe that the backstory and character interaction would potentially be more fleshed out if you had read both. Vega's character may have been more fleshed out in the previous novel but she just seems a little flat to me - there's the potential for her history to be known (possibly covered in the prior novel) but maybe the author doesn't want to share that just yet. That being said both Vega and Caplan have endearing and badass qualities you would positively hope to find in the people looking for your own kids. The journey Vega and Cap take in this book is a long winding one but it is fast paced and packed with action - finding information on girls that have nothing is no cake walk. The ending really made this book for me - not only for the shock of The Bastard but also Vega's actions.

I would recommend this book to readers who love suspense and thriller novels. The book does contain topics some people could be sensitive of that mainly involves minors: sexual abuse/rape, physical abuse, immigration and violence. I look forward to going backwards and reading the first novel in the series. A big thank you to Doubleday Books and NetGalley for the copy of The Janes to read and review.

Such a great book! I hadn't read the first one in the series Two Girl Down before this one but it isn't necessary. As soon as I finished The Janes I had to read Two Girls Down and hope a third book comes along. I like the relationship between Alice Vega, confident, risk taking and former military private investigator, and Max Caplan, law abiding, cautious father and former police officer. Their differences make them a great team. When two unidentified young girls at the morgue have similarities, Alice calls Max to help her investigation. The case involves immigration, drugs and human trafficking.

After Two Girls Down and now The Janes, Louisa Luna is officially my favorite thriller writer.

The Janes offered up my favorite reading experience - I was fully engaged, and wanted to tear through the book, but also didn't want it to end. As such, I took my time and savored it.

Alice Vega, the protagonist, is just so completely kicka**. I hope Luna writes a great big series featuring her and her loyal partner, Max Caplan. I love that Vega is so tough and smart, and still personable. I love that Max is kind of into her but also very aware of their age difference (and you can tell his attraction is rooted in deep-seated respect and admiration, this isn't a lusty sort of attraction). I love that Luna writes in such a way that none of the side characters felt like caricatures.

The Janes is set in the greater San Diego area - I could easily picture various scenes, given Luna's descriptions of the sky, sun, palm trees, desert, or ocean breeze, depending where they were. It featured violence, but I didn't find it gratuitous or upsetting. I found the plot well-crafted and engaging.

I know it's only January, but I expect this to be one of my absolute favorite thrillers of the year. It was just so good.

Content warnings: animal cruelty, sex trafficking, rape, murder, electric shock torture, violence, gang violence, assault, mutilation, illegal drugs

(Thank you to Double Day Books and NetGalley for a free e-arc. Admittedly, I got my hands on a print arc - not directly from the publisher - and mostly read that, but so appreciated having a copy of the e-arc!)

I did not realize that this was the 2nd book in the series, but the author does a great job of making this a standalone. So if you didn't read the first book, no need to worry. I love Alice Vega; she is so bad ass! And I also really like Caplan and his daughter. The book reads like a true crime; very gritty and real. The book was very engaging and I can't wait for the next one! Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

First and foremost, I did not realize when I selected this book, that it was the second in a series. I had not read the first book, so there were a few references that I didn’t understand. However, it did not take away from this story. “The Janes” is an intriguing story.
The main characters are well defined and provide the story with more depth. Vega was harder for me to like, but I think it was her no-nonsense attitude, whereas Cap was more likeable. We learn more of his backstory and personal life, so this made him more approachable.
There were parts of the story that I did not enjoy. Foul language, especially the “F” word being the biggest issue. The author did a great job of bringing to light many issues that plague our society today. Sex trafficking, and drugs being two of them. Thank you NetGalley, Louise Luna, and Doubleday for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.