This is a very good entry in the Jimmy Vega series by Suzanne Chazin. The story kept you engrossed in what was happening from the first page where Jimmy is in court for the civil case around his accidental shooting to the very last page. The book also continues the ongoing theme of immigration and the many difficulties faced by those who are trying to immigrate to the US which gave me much food for thought as my mother emigrated to the US from Brazil.

I highly recommend this book and series and would like to also thank Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance copy.

Fabulous story that I could not put down. Would highly recommend to fans of this genre. Great writing, and I will look for more from this author.

The Fragile Edge is the sixth instalment in the Jimmy Vega Mystery series set in New York county. Puerto Rican Detective Jimmy Vega is attending court to face the ten million dollar civil lawsuit that has been filed against him by sketchy complainant Lucinda Ponce, the widow of an unarmed man who was shot to death, and her prominent attorney Bernard Carver. Vega has been a police officer for 19 years and had been serving in the Narcotics Division at the time of the incident in which he participated in undercover infiltrations of drugs rings and gang operations. The guy had been a suspect in a home invasion at the time of the shooting eight months ago. Vega was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. But in the court of public opinion, the taint never really left him. And now this civil trial was stirring things up all over again.

His girlfriend Adele Figueroa and his 19-year-old daughter, Joy, are in court to support him which is especially awkward given Adele is director of one of the most influential immigrant advocacy organisations in New York State, dating a cop who’d shot and killed an unarmed immigrant. Meanwhile, across the city, a thirty-something sniper carrying a backpack loaded with a twelve-pound bolt-action Nemesis sniper rifle with a holographic scope, two five-round magazines of high-velocity, 338 calibre cartridges and a military-grade flash suppressor is making his way to his exclusive perch. He knows well in advance the court schedule and when his target will be in the optimal part of the security lot. Wearing khakis, a baseball cap and sunglasses to hide his features, he climbs the stairs in the bus terminal half a mile from the target location and scans the area.

Once a golf car comes into view ferrying 3 people beside the court he fires but crucially misses the intended victim and hits one of the others. It isn't long before people realise a court officer named Darryl Williams, who had been escorting contentious Judge Julia Spruce, is now dead. She had been involved in many controversial rulings in favour of ethnic minorities and immigrants, and although she was only wounded the police believe she was the intended target. A furious white supremacist group are suspected to be behind the attempted assassination. With a sniper on the run, they deem a 12-year-old undocumented Guatemalan girl to be the sole witness able to help with identifying the shooter but locating her is going to be easier said than done. This is a scintillating, enthralling and compulsively readable thriller with an engrossing mystery element and ripped-from-the-headlines plot.

I loved how impeccably the story was woven and appreciated the multi-dimensional characters as much as the author’s thoughtful portrayal of the lives of immigrants, both documented and undocumented. It touches on racism, police bureaucracy, immigration, the legal system, far-right extremist groups and political machinations, and Jimmy knows his career is in jeopardy if he is convicted. It's a cracking addition to a brilliant series that captured my attention throughout and the taut plotting complete with some truly unpredictable and explosive twists blew me away. Action-packed, quick-paced and so fraught with tension that I needed to take a few breaks as respite, this is an interesting, engrossing read peopled with a rich, authentic cast of characters, especially Jimmy who is fallible and human but always strives for justice and is compassionate yet has been demonised by those with dark political motivations. Highly recommended.

This is a stellar addition to Chaizen’s great series featuring Detective Jimmy Vega. Detective Vega is a defendant in a very expensive lawsuit brought by an unusually successful lawyer and his questionable client. Jimmy knows the case is flawed and politically motivated, but he cannot find a way out that won’t ruin his promotion chances and damage the department.

While he is at the courthouse, a sniper shoots at another judge. Although Jimmy is not supposed to be on duty, he runs towards the incident. This propels Jimmy into a case from his past, more political machinations and the dark underbelly of racism and immigration.

The plotting of this book is multi-dimensional, never taking the easy solution. Chaizen has many issues here (police bureaucracy, judicial decisions, immigrants on this side of the border, etc.) but she builds characters that give an authentic, powerful, compassionate voice. This is the best, and one of the most exciting books in the series. (Start at the beginning if you are a first-time reader – you will want to keep going.) Suzanne Chaizen gets better with every title. Every time she raises the bar higher for herself and Jimmy Vega. Wonderful and rewarding! Cover art was great, too. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this riveting read. Highly recommended.

I picked this up not realizing that the main character was recurring from other books. The author did a great job making the story and the characters accessible regardless of having read the other books. The plot was suspenseful and well-paced.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of The Fragile Edge, the sixth novel to feature Detective Jimmy Vega of the New York County Police.

Jimmy is in court facing a multimillion dollar civil lawsuit when a court officer, escorting a controversial judge, is shot by a sniper. Both Jimmy and the FBI assume that the judge was the intended target and they suspect white supremacists, angry over her judgements in immigration cases. A young twelve year old immigrant is the only person who can identify the sniper, but she has disappeared into the community.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Fragile Edge which is another fine addition to a great series. I’m not going to pretend that it has any relevance to my life or experience, but it touched me emotionally and held my attention throughout, so a resounding 5 stars.

The plot is interesting and compulsive with several interrelated strands. I enjoy a plot with a stranger killing where the detective starts with the entire world as a suspect and gradually narrows the focus as more evidence is uncovered. This novel does it well with false assumptions and a perceived lack of motive. I was hooked and just as I thought it was all over the author throws in another twist, which is probably the best of them all. I certainly didn’t see it coming. The compelling storyline is accompanied by a series of tense moments and action scenes. I even had to put the book down sometimes as I was so invested that I couldn’t bear the tension. As an aside the novel is well paced and continually interesting.

As a European I don’t know too much about race and immigration in America so this novel is an education on the struggles of immigrants and the organisational capacity of white supremacists. I don’t get the cruelty and exploitation of human beings, but it seems baked into the culture. I like the author’s clear eyed narrative and the way she incorporates it into the novel as part of the plot and the story rather than proselytising or lecturing. I think it has a greater impact.

I like Jimmy Vega, who is a very human character. He makes mistakes, but is always well intentioned and caring. The civil case is a case in point. He’s being sued for killing a criminal in a life or death situation. Incidentally, I loved the solution to this one, so kudos to the author for the imagination involved.

The Fragile Edge is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Detective Jimmy Vega is back and dealing with the aftermath of a shooting that left an unarmed man dead. The victim's widow (and I use that term loosely), and filed a civil lawsuit and Jimmy is facing disastrous consequences to his career if convicted. Plus a court house shooting leaves a guard dead, a judge sympathetic to the immigrant situation wounded, and a sniper on the run. Add to all this a return to his past as a rookie officer and the young girl whose life he saved and you have another wonderful addition to this series.

The story is well written but what really interests me is the inclusion of the immigrant communities, their hopes and dreams, their fears and desires. No matter what your personal feelings may be toward our country's immigration policy you will discover how resilient, how courageous and hardworking they are just trying to make a better life in America.

Come, loose yourself in this mystery conundrum. You will love the twist at the end.