Face of Greed is the first novel that I have read from author James L’Etoile and it certainly won’t be my last. And according to the forward from the publisher, Face of Greed is also the first novel in a new series — the Emily Hunter Detective series.

The novel is a police procedural that follows a whodunit as well as a whydunit trope. But it not so straightforward since there are a number of different, but interconnected plots. There are at least six different tangential stories going on at the same time so it got a little confusing. However, all of the stories coalesce toward the end for a satisfying finale.

There are a number of characters, and it did get a little overwhelming at times. But the main characters of Emily Hunter and Javier Medina, the primary detectives in the novel, really kept everything together. I loved spending time with them in the field. And it was such fun to observe their banter and witness the snarkiness of Emily. I would venture to say that Detectives Hunter and Medina are my new favorite characters next to Detectives Danny Reagan and Maria Baez.

The pacing for me was just right. There’s more than enough action and suspense that kept me engaged until the end. I can’t wait to read the second novel in the series. Four solid stars.

I received a DRC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley and Edelweiss+. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Author James L’Etoile began his long tenure in corrections as a probation officer in a juvenile facility. He subsequently became a correctional counselor and was promoted to the position of associate warden of a maximum-security prison. His career culminated with a stint as the director of the Division of Adult Parole Operations with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

His duties included drafting release reports for judges. One day, after retiring, it occurred to him that he wrote crime stories throughout his career. Drawing on his experience and knowledge, he decided to pursue a new career writing fiction. Black Label, his first published novel is a stand-alone psychological thriller dealing with big pharma and featuring a female protagonist. He next launched his Detective Nathan Parker series with Dead Drop, set in the Southwest and dealing with the immigration crisis and those caught in the middle of it. Devil Within is the second installment in the series.

Face of Greed is the first offering in a new series. Inspiration for the story came from one of the first murder investigations in which L’Etoile participated. Three gang members broke into a home and forced the homeowner to open a safe before executing him. The perpetrators claimed the homeowner “was a drug dealer and was rumored to keep large quantities of product and cash in his safe” and owed them money, L’Etoile recalls. The jury rejected their proffered defense. The shooter was sentenced to death and the other two criminals received long prison sentences. L’Etoile says that case “always stuck with me” and prompted him to pen a story in which he “asks what if there was more going on in that home invasion?”

Face of Greed introduces readers to Emily Hunter. She has been a Detective with the Sacramento Police Department for five years. When asked why he opted to craft the series around another female protagonist, L’Etoile reveals that it puts him “on edge” and prevents him from making assumptions, permitting him to “get into [the story] a little more.” Crafting a believable female law enforcement professional also makes him work harder. “You can’t just put the character in a dress,” he notes. L’Etoile, whose own daughter is in law enforcement in addition to being one of his beta readers, believes that women in what is still a male-dominated profession don’t yet receive the recognition they deserve. “They still have to work harder than men to be recognized” and are often expected, like their male peers, to conceal their feelings while performing duties that frequently invoke strong emotional reactions. L’Etoile acknowledges that law enforcement is evolving and more resources are being offered to employees to help them cope with job stressors.

Emily is single and committed to her job. She is also a loving daughter, devoted to ensuring that her seventy-year-old mother, Connie, is safe and well cared for. Connie, a retired teacher, is afflicted with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and no longer able to live independently so four months ago, Emily insisted that Connie move in with her. She has enlisted a caregiver, Sheila, to watch over Connie while she works, but her schedule is anything but predictable and she often works long hours, so the logistics have thus far proven challenging. Indeed, as the book opens, she arrives at home to find that Connie has wandered off again, prompting Sheila to suggest that Emily consider relocating Connie to a secure facility where she can receive a higher level of care. But Emily has no time to debate the subject with Sheila because she is immediately called back to work by the Watch Commander. It’s a high-profile case in which the Chief of Police and Mayor are taking a personal interest and the unusual step of responding to the scene.

Emily and her partner of six months, Detective Javier Medina, arrive at a stylish home on 46th Street in the heart of one of Sacramento’s most prestigious neighborhoods, known as the “Fabulous Forties.” Roger Townsend, a fifty-year-old power player in California political circles, has been murdered in his home, “his throat slit from ear to ear.” His glamorous wife, Lori, interrupted what appears to have been a home invasion robbery and suffered minor injuries. The floor safe in Townsend’s home office is open but there is no evidence suggesting that it was forced open. Lori insists that only her husband knew the combination to the safe and he kept only a modest amount of cash and some papers in it. A small amount of light-colored powder is visible on the bottom of the now empty safe. Lori quickly retreats to the Townsend estate in Granite Bay, and the coroner’s examination soon reveals that Townsend was also shot in the back . . . and was terminally ill.

As Emily and Javier begin investigating, their efforts are thwarted by Lori’s close friendship with the Mayor. Their interview with the Managing Partner and In-House Counsel of Townsend and Associates leads to more questions about the nature of Townsend’s business dealings and holdings, as well as why a sleazy criminal attorney operating out of a J Street storefront was Townsend’s personal lawyer. They follow clues that will hopefully provide insight into the motivation for Townsend’s killing, but more crimes, including another murder, yield more suspects and complicate their efforts. The Chief is anxious to wrap up the investigation, claiming that the case has been solved and the killer taken into custody. Emily risks an insubordination charge as she seeks to avoid a confrontation with him and the Mayor because “[o]nce politics infects a case, common sense disappears.” But it becomes increasingly apparent that politics are impeding Emily and Javier’s efforts to unravel a mystery that grows increasingly complex and convoluted, involving another detective, ex-convicts who served time in Pelican Bay (one of California’s most dangerous and notorious prisons), members of the Aryan Brotherhood, and even an Assistant United States Attorney.

Emily is a compelling character. She is a competent and determined detective, savvy and respected by colleagues who are willing to aid her efforts with leads and tips. She is willing to take risks to uncover the truth, and skates dangerously close to derailing her career when she refuses to capitulate to the political machinations of her superiors and the interference of the Mayor in her investigation. Her partnership with Javier is both collegial and affectionate, characterized by often hilarious and believable bickering and teasing. It is evident that Javier, the junior member of the team, is not threatened by Emily or in any way uncomfortable being subordinate to a female detective. On the contrary, they have a great deal in common, not the least of which is their love for and appreciation of their mothers.

L’Etoile’s riveting story is both fast-paced and cleverly plotted. As the investigation proceeds, each piece of evidence uncovered seems to inspire more questions rather than provide answers, and lead Emily and Javier in unexpected directions. L’Etoile deftly keeps readers guessing about whether and in what configuration all the various threads of the mystery will eventually pull together, but Lori repeatedly emerges as the common denominator. She is demonstrably connected to and involved with a vast group of intriguing supporting characters, some of whom are quite dastardly and mercenary. Is she innocent? Or did she play a role in her husband’s demise? If so, what would motivate her to harm the man who, by all outward appearances, afforded her a lifestyle and access to power she could not have achieved on her own?

The procedural and political aspects of the story are both credible and plausible, the latter providing dramatic tension and frustrations that inspire Emily to forge ahead despite the obstacles erected by her powerful superiors and potential adverse consequences for her career. L’Etoile expertly utilizes the setting — the city of Sacramento and surrounding areas — to maximum effect. His familiarity with the region is evident as his characters visit landmarks like the famed Renaissance Tower. Housing the fictional Townsend and Associates, the downtown behemoth is known as the “Darth Vader” building because of its modernistic design that is at odds with the structures surrounding it, including California’s beloved domed Capitol. They also proceed to the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building, another architectural oddity; the county jail; and the aforementioned “Fabulous Forties” and J Street. L’Etoile provides descriptions and wry commentary that transform the city into an integral character in the tale, illustrating its incohesive and contradictory nature for readers who are unacquainted with it. “Such was Sacramento, a city in search of an identity” with a fictional mayor intent on transforming it into a cultural center and travel destination.

Face of Greed is an absorbing, entertaining, and uniquely creative mystery, at the heart of which is the empathetic and relatable Emily. She is determined to simultaneously be the best detective, daughter, and partner she can be. Thus, she is both comfortably familiar and endearing. Readers will find themselves quickly invested in her success and moved by her relationship with her mother. She is keenly aware that their time together is limited, as Connie’s memories and cognitive abilities fade. And there is a black cat who is not hers, but keeps showing up expecting to be fed so Emily accedes to its demands. Hopefully, L’Etoile will further explore the various challenges that make Emily such a fascinating protagonist in subsequent volumes, while providing her with more mystifying cases to solve in California’s River City.

Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic Advance Readers Copy of the book and to Oceanview Publishing for a paperback Advance Readers Copy.

Face of Greed is a great book and gives us da strong female lead, because James L’Etoile writes women that way, real, not idealized. It’s one of the reasons I admire his style..

Full Murder in Common review here: https://murderincommon.com/2023/11/05/james-letoile-face-of-greed-interview/

James L’Etoile worked within the criminal justice system for 20 years. His crime fiction is laden with the authentic detail only someone with that kind of experience can supply. His stand-alone novel Black Label (Level Best Books, 2021) won a 2022 Silver Falchion award at Killer Nashville. Dead Drop (Level Best Books, 2022), first in the series about Maricopa County Detective Nathan Parker, was nominated for 2023 Anthony and Lefty awards. Now Oceanview Publishing is releasing L’Etoile’s first book in a series about Sacramento, California, police detective Emily Hunter and her partner Javier Medina on November 7, 2023.

Hunter and Medina are called to what appears to be a violent home invasion in which the home owner is killed and his wife beaten. Both the mayor and the chief of police were on the scene when Hunter and Medina arrived, signaling the victims had political connections. In fact, the home owner was Roger Townsend, who ran the mayor’s last election campaign. The Townsends’ social and political pull permeated and hindered the investigation considerably, yet Hunter and Medina, who make a good team, managed to uncover some questionable alliances between the Townsends and local gangs. They soon began to wonder if the ostensible home invasion wasn’t a cover for something else entirely.

This is an encouraging start to a new police procedural series. The interaction and collaborative cooperation between Hunter and Medina are among the best parts of the book. The subplot of Hunter’s search for care for her failing mother hits home for a lot of folks these days. The mingling of gangs and politicians with questionable ethics is well done.

However, I feel compelled to point out that I am really tired of the competent cop fighting inept upper management trope that is so common now. Not that useless managers don’t exist, I have had more than my fair share of them. But portraying upper management as blithering idiots is not realistic. It’s more accurate to show them as consumed with the administrative demands of their positions: the higher up the chain any employee in any organization moves, the more attuned they have to be to financial and political dynamics. I always thought Steven Havill handled the uninformed manager in the early Bill Gastner books exceptionally well. Gastner made a point of getting along with his boss, no matter how little he knew, because Gastner understood it was part of his job. Gastner also recognized the strengths his boss brought to the sheriff’s office and acknowledged them openly. It’s an approach more writers of police procedurals should consider.

Booklist gave this title a starred review.

This mystery/thriller is built in layers. We first meet the detective team as they arrive at the scene of a brutal crime. An influential businessman has been murdered and his wife assaulted during a break in. At first look, it seems a straight forward case, but they soon find out just how influential this man and his wife are. This is the back story to FACE OF GREED. Detectives Emily Hunter and Javier Medina are experienced detectives who quickly find themselves being constantly watched and their actions questioned by those who want this crime solved quickly. When a homeless man is identified as the killer, the detectives are directed to stand down. But this suspect does not fit the clues they have, so they will continue, even if the investigation takes them into dangerous territory.

James L'EToile was an associate warden familiar with both police and criminal activites. He spent his working life in the California state prison environment. His experience lends an authenticity to his writing that ramps up the characters and their interactions to keep the readers interested and guessing where the detectives will land. While his back library may not be extensive yet, his future on my TBR list is ensured.

A new gritty crime series, Face of Greed by James L'Etoile (2023) features Detective Emily Hunter and Javier Medina of the Sacramento police. The home invasion murder of a wealthy businessman sees the Mayor and Police Chief take direct interest in Emily’s and Javier’s investigation. Sassy Emily doesn’t appreciate the interference and is determined to follow the leads wherever they have to, despite the pressure to close the case quickly. When another body is discovered with possible links to crime gangs, the seemingly random home invasion connects to Sacramento’s wealth elites and possible conspiracy. This is a smart multilayered crime tale with a promising new energetic detective duo that makes for a four and a half stars rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

This was a great 1st read for author James E'Toile! I wish this was a series b/c I would totally be here to follow around these 2 partners in crime fighting and their beginning love lives! I would also love to see what hijinks their mothers could get up to while they were working! This was a wild ride and shows that greed knows no bounds but sometimes the bad guys do get their comeuppance.

#FaceofGreed
#NetGalley

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.
This is my first James L'Etoile novel. To say I am impressed is an understatement. Extraordinary writing. I loved the characters and the development of them. Being able to see them as both detectives and ordinary humans made for such a great storyline. Their partnership was amazing.
The corruption, the drama, the murder, the brick walls and the ability of Emily to go against the grain and find a way made this a real page turner.
I would love to see this become a series!

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, James L’Etoile, and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

New to the world of James L’Etoile, I eagerly reached for this police procedural. L’Etoile has a great way of setting the facts out in a blunt fashion and allowing the reader to digest things at the breakneck speed his narrative presents them on the streets of Sacramento. When a business tycoon is found murdered in his home and his wife is brutally attacked, Detectives Emily Hunter and Javier Medina arrive at the scene to investigate. Things get off to a rocky start, as both the mayor and Chief of Police seek to rush the case to closing. Hunter and Medina do not work that way, pulling up any proverbial rugs to find all the dirt. While Hunter pushes back a little too hard, it will take her diligence to get answers in a case that runs far deeper than simple murder, L’Etoile shines with this novel and sets the scene for what could be a great series.

After being called to the scene of a brutal murder and attack, Sacramento Homicide Detectives Emily Hunter and Javier Medina discover that money talks. Roger Townsend is in a pool of his blood, while his wife, Lori, is consoled by the mayor and Chief of Police. After taking some initial statements, both Hunter and Medina feel that there is more Mrs. Townsend is not sharing, but she plays the grieving widow and has powerful friends willing to play the shield. Neither detective is ready to let this go, though it is Hunter who pushes well past what some would call acceptable.

While trying to push through a case that the politically connected want closed as swiftly as they can, others hope to bury it by any means. Hunter and Medina are in the middle, trying to find justice and answer, as walls are built. Add to that, Hunter is trying to handle her ailing mother, whose mental acuity is becoming questionable.

When the detectives follow a lead that could open new motives, they are quickly shut down, especially when a homeless man is fingered as the murderer. Still, Hunter and Medina refuse to stand down and discover that there are gang ties and some crooked members of the legal community who are paving the way for a complete cover-up. As Hunter and Medina make some accusations, they find themselves threaten with suspension, though neither is concerned if it will bring about the truth. A great start in which James L’Etoile keeps the punches coming until the final reveal.

While I am not familiar with the author’s work, it did not take me long to get accustomed to his swift delivery. The narrative flows easily and quickly in a piece that evolves with every chapter. The momentum increases the more Detectives Hunter and Medina are stifled, making this one of the great police procedurals I have read in a long while.

Characters develop and evolve with ease throughout the piece adding flavouring to an already great story. I can see some great initial traits to Emily Hunter, who I surmise has a lot to offer readers should this flourish into a series. I am eager to see how things develop, as well as what Javier Medina brings to the larger series. He appears to have a great personality worth exploring as well.

The plot of a police procedural is usually quite easy to follow, though it is the stumbling blocks along the way that add greatness to the story. L’Etoile adds effective twists to keep the reader guessing and some sub-plots to entertain away from the gruesome nature of the central story. The reader can find something they enjoy and latch on, while things progress and regress throughout. I am eager to flow this series, should it happen, and will keep the author on my radar.

Kudos, Mr. L’Etoile, for being a shining beacon throughout this piece.

When a prominent Sacramento businessman is killed and his wife injured in a brutal home invasion, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner Javier Medina are called in to investigate. At first glance, it seemed like a crime of opportunity gone wrong, but Emily soon finds there might be more to both the crime and the dead man. The high-stakes investigation also comes at a time when Emily is caring for her mother, who has early-inset Alzheimer's, and Emily struggles to balance her job with her personal life

Detectives Emily Hunter and Javier Medina are investigating the murder of Roger Townsend. Emily has also to try and balance her work and personal life as her mum has early-onset Alzheimer's. We get twist after twist in the fast=paced read. We aslo get some backstory. This is a well-written, multi=layered and action-packed read. The characters are well-developed and likeable. I loved the author's writing style.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #OceanviewPublishing and the author #JamesLEtoile for my ARC of #FaceOfGreed in exchange for an honest review.

Terrific page turner. Just when I thought things were wrapped up something more happened. Many surprises along the way. Exciting moments. Clever murder mystery. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is the first book I have read by this author and really enjoyed the fast-paced detective story. This book was full of crime, corruption and betrayal with gang related violence. An extensive research project had to be completed to be able to place the clues and detectives in the right places. Impressive writing!

Emily is the main character and a very strong competitor in a male dominated world of detectives. Her and her partner Javier are called to the scene of a very prominent businessman's death. Roger's wife, Lori, had been hit over the head and unable to help with the scene investigation. Roger had been stabbed and shot. The safe randomly scrambled through leaving some valuable items behind, and clues that it was not a random act of violence. There had been a few gang-related home invasions that Sacramento had been known for. The Twists along the way will have you second guessing who to trust.
As the investigation grows stronger, they meet resistance from the police force and political influence. Greed plays a huge role as the title suggests. "Money is the root of all evil." "Cell phones should be added to that statement." It appears to be the theme lately with political influence covering corruption.
I loved the character Emily and could feel sympathy for her struggles. Her mom and a caretaker live with her to help with her dementia. She coped well to balance all she had on her and always out to prove she was one of the best detectives and deserved recognition for always doing what is right.
Thank you Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
This is a page turner with Emily and her partner Javier they investigate a home invasion where the man is killed and his wife injured. Emily knows there is more to this. Not long after their lawyer is killed.,
Emily also has to balance taking care of her mother with early onset dementia.
This book did not disappoint.

Was it a random home invasion or a calculated murder plot? This is what detectives Emily Hunter and Javier Medina must figure out after a prominent San Francisco businessman is killed, and his wife injured, during a brutal attack in their home.

As Emily and her partner Javier dig deeper, it is soon evident that there is more to the story. For one thing, shortly after the first incident, the businessman's lawyer is also murdered.

And the fact that the first victim was a good friend of the Mayor's and wielded influence in high places means the case is a political hot potato, adding a further layer of complications to an already charged situation.

The novel also brings up the issue of work life balance - or the lack thereof - very nicely. The reader is given the information that Emily's mother is suffering from early onset dementia and requires constant care. This is making Emily's life very difficult. And naturally, also interfering with her focus.

This story is a well-written and fast-paced police procedural. Emily, in particular, is enormously likeable and relatable, and the chemistry between her and Javier is impressive - funny and warm without being in the least suggestive of sexual undertones. An enjoyable read, all told.

I liked this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't like the writing style but overall the story was good.

crime-fiction, Alzheimer-victim, California, family-drama, family-dynamics, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, multiple-murder, political-corruption, politics, procedural, working-partners, suspense, wealthy, attitude-of-entitlement, new-series, first-in-series, police-detectives, prison-gangs, undercover, theft, unputdownable, battery, fast-pace, home-invasion, lawyers, coercion*****

It's tough enough to work a complicated case, but when crooked politicians ( especially the mayor) tell the police chief how to manage the case and the detectives working it there is so much more. It isn't as though Detective Emily Hunter doesn't have enough problems at home with her mother's AD worsening. Fortunately her partner Detective Javier Medina's mother is great help. The case would be a nightmare even without the political hindrances, but the due diligence and a few helpful connections do help. A great read that will make an addictive series.
I requested and received an EARC from Oceanview Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Ambition, corruption, political and greed collide in Face of Greed, a police precedural/thriller by James L’Etoile. When Detective Emily Hunter and her partner Javier Medina arrive at the scene of a deadly home invasion, they find the body of a prominent businessman, philanthropist and political fundraiser dead on the floor. His throat has been slashed and his wife is being comforted by an overly familiar Mayor. Although Hunter and Medina find links to other cases, their investigation is quickly shut down. However, they continue and what they discover is far worse than they could imagine.

Face of Greed is a page turner and, I hope, the beginning of a new series. I liked the relationship between Hunter and Medina. Emily’s problem’s with her mother’s memory loss makes her a sympathetic character, one I would like to see more of. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the copy of Face of Greed by James L’Etoile. I really liked the relationship between Emily and her mother and Emily’s struggle to balance her job with her personal responsibilities. I didn't connect with the crime until about the middle of the book when the story finally grabbed me. I think it took so long because I didn’t enjoy the writing style. In the end, this was a good book, just not great for me.

What does the face of greed look like? This image stayed with me through out this novel. Written by a gifted author, this story moves quickly with realistic characters. The images are fascinating and lifelike. This book of fiction reads like nonfiction at times. Despite the interference of higher ups such as the mayor, this case is solved by talented officers. Red herrings kept me guessing, but always the face of greed kept appearing. Something about that title intrigued me. Thanks to the publisher and author for this electronic copy from Netgalley. I look forward to more novels by this author. This is a keeper.

Face of Greed is an exciting and fast paced mystery/police procedural about a murder of a well known businessman and the brutal attack on his wife.

The two main characters a female and male detective are well developed and believable. The detectives are both struggling to balance their work and personal lives, and the difficult family dramas that affect them are ones many of us face today. The female detective’s relationship with her mother who is suffering from dementia showed sensitivity and compassion not often found in books of this genre. The depth of the writing shows the author has deep knowledge of the criminal justice system which makes the story very compelling.

The twists and turns in the story will keep you glued to the book until you finish the last word!

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest review.