“Faces of Greed” by James L’Etoile is the latest book I have read and finished in just 3 sittings. This book is a classic police procedural novel that is written impeccably. I can hardly believe L’Etoile isn’t a bigger and well-known author than he already is. I really enjoy his attention to detail without going on too long with complicated police intricacies. This book was a fast read and it had some great twists along the way.

Faces of Greed is set in Sacramento, California which is my own hometown. It was really fun reading about places that are near and dear to my heart. The novel is centered around Detective Emily Hunter and the case she is currently working on, as well as her personal challenges at home with her mother’s advancing Dementia. Her partner Javier Medina is a well-rounded character that balances her personality very well. Their banter in the book was hilarious as well as sweet. I appreciated that their friendship was completely platonic without falling to the classic work partners trope.

The story line was very interesting and moved along quickly. The book begins with a home invasion robbery gone wrong. Without giving too much away, Hunter and Medina find themselves opening an even bigger can of worms as what appears to be a solo crime turns out to be so much more.

If you enjoy thrillers and police procedurals, check this book out. I look forward to reading more of L’Etoile’s work. A big thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for issuing an advanced reader copy of “Faces of Greed” to myself in exchange for an honest review.

Detective Emily Hunter and her partner Detective Javier Medina are working a murder case that has the mayor sticking his nose in, plus the Chief of Police is riding them for answers. Hunter also has her mother living with her. Her mother has dementia and doesn't get along well with the caregiver. Every time Hunter and Medina think they have a decent lead on the case, someone or something keeps them from the truth. A very intriguing story that shows how far some people will go for love and/or money. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

In “Face of Greed,” award-winning author, James L’Etoile introduces the reader to Detective Emily Hunter and partner, Detective Javier Medina, richly developed characters with real world problems that make them highly relatable.

Set in Sacramento, California, the story opens with the murder of a wealthy businessman and a brutal attack on his wife in what appears to be a home invasion gone wrong. As the victims are friends of the mayor, the case rapidly devolves into a political quagmire, hampering the detectives from running a thorough investigation. The mayor wants the case closed, the detectives want it solved.

Not big fans of walking on political eggshells, Emily and Javier continue to investigate the crime as discreetly as possible, which is a major challenge for Emily. The robbery-homicide investigation is not the only major challenge in Emily’s life, as she struggles to provide a safe home environment and ongoing care for her aging mother, who suffers from a rapid increase in cognitive decline.

As the investigation progresses, Detectives Hunter and Medina focus their attention on vicious gang members, a less-than-honorable attorney, who is later murdered, a prosecutor on the take and their number one suspect, the wife who claims she was brutally attacked.

With compelling characters, non-stop action and the authentic writing of James L’Etoile, “Face of Greed,” the first novel in “The Detective Emily Hunter Mystery Series,” is a triumph. Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advance reader’s copy of “Face of Greed.”

Face of Greed is a fast paced police procedural involving the murders of prominent, well known and well connected lawyers. As the lead detective is pushed by the mayor to resolve the murders quickly, family issues interfere with her time. I found this to be an interesting book with good character development.

Face of Greed was exactly the book I was looking to read! The Emily character had me rooting for her the entire book! The suspense has me turning page after page for the next twist that I know make my mouth drop to the floor! James L'Etoile really hit the nail on the head with this!

The same old cleche I couldn't put the book down mindset is served up in Face of Greed.
Beginning with a couple of bizarre killings, the story quickly turns into a hectic read with no stopping.
Strong overall characters, a faultless narrative, tension maintained right up until the very end, and a guessing game for the readers—James L'Etoile will win many fans with Face of Greed.
An independent review for NetGalley/Oceanview Publishing

Very well written. This book allowed me to read it without being familiar with the characters. The story will draw you in and keep you guessing. Medium paced and worth a read.

Face of Greed by James L’Etoile is a fast peace detective mystery with a fantastic twist! I would say very suspenseful book. This is my first James L’Etoile book, but I believe will be not the last one! I loved that there wasn't too much "empty text" when it feels that author just trying to fill the space but the information is not beneficial to the storyline. James L’Etoile made things straightforward and provided just relevant information!

This book is about detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina who must investigate a crime that more complicated than it's looks. As deeper Emily digs as deeper she gets sucked into the dark world of violence! And all this while she must look after her mother.
I loved how the author shows the struggle to balance work and personal life! It gave me that sense of reality and made it easy to connect with the main characters. Sometimes that's the most important thing for me!

Most of the chapters are long. Good job I picked up this book on my day off so I wasn't stressed about it so much but on a busy day, when you have limited time and all you want is to squeeze in one quick chapter, it would irate me. So my advice - grab this book when you have time and don't read before bedtime as "one more chapter" will take you past midnight :D It gets better by the end of the book, and you get that feeling that you can fly through them.
Thank you, NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read this book!
#FaceofGreed #NetGalley

I was captivated by James L'Etoile's Face of Greed from the very first page, and it left me eager to dive into more of his work. This detective mystery offers a refreshing twist, as the author's deep knowledge of the criminal justice system shines through, providing a unique perspective on both the perpetrators and the intricate processes leading to their incarceration. The character development is expertly executed, with Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Detective Javier Medina, taking center stage. L'Etoile strikes the perfect balance between providing enough backstory to build the characters without overwhelming the narrative.

While the ending is flawlessly executed, it moves at a rapid pace, filled with intricate details. Face of Greed is a compelling detective mystery that left me hungry for more. James L'Etoile's masterful storytelling and intricate plot make this book a must-read for fans of the genre.

I my gosh! I loved this book! I stayed up two night to finish this book. Greed is real and you can bet things that happened in this book have happened in real life. I can't wait to read more from this author.

What I liked about this book was how L'Etoile depicted Emily's life as being more than just a detective. The sections where she cares for her aging mother who has early-onset Alzheimer's were very relatable for me. This is a solid mystery/suspense crime book, I would recommend it for any readers of that genre. Thanks to NetGAlley for the ARC.

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, murder, mystery, A great who done it, great police work, and some really crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I will definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Detective Emily Hunter and her partner are investigating the murder of a businessman, and the injury of his wife in a home invasion.
Shortly afterwards, the man's lawyer is murdered, the murders have to be connected.
It is not long before the widow 'moves on' with her life, after being protected by the Mayor and senior law enforcement officers.

Emily has problems in her personal life, her mother has the starting stages of dementia, and finds it difficult to balance her professional life with her home life.

I enjoyed this police procedural, although I found the beginning of it a bit heavy going. I like the way the detective's personal life is incorporated into the book, this gives the reader a connection to the characters.

This is the first book I have read by the author, and I look forward to reading more, and hopefully this will be a series with Emily and Javier.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Follow the adventures of Detective Emily Hunter along with partner, Javier Medina as they solve this puzzling case with lots of twists and turns...and wow does the case have them!! Starting with Emily's mother developing dementia and having no long-term care giver on hand it just goes deeper into issues.

One murder, two murders, looking alike maybe leading to a serial killer but the connections are many so maybe not random. A home invasion along with an office search and the waters get muddier. Money comes into play $3-$4 million or maybe more. Add in politics along with sexual adventures and this is an exciting story underway.

At first it seems the perpetrator might be identified but then other clues pointing in a different direction. A classic whodunit in the likes of Christie with everyone at one time or another looking as if they could be guilty.

Read the book to determine who the real culprit(s) of the crimes are and learn how Detective Hunter may find some absolution for her mom as well as in her love life. A fun read.