Love the Stranger is a "mystery with a cause" (or two) if you know what I mean.

Kenzie is running a campaign to prevent the building of a luxury high-rise in Queens, which will unavoidably begin the gentrification of the diverse, working class neighbor. She moves between two communities: Queens, her own neighborhood, and among wealthy New Yorkers in other parts of the city whose funding and support the campaign needs. Her partner and apartment mate, Ted is a former corporate attorney, who occasionally takes on lost (and dangers) causes pro-bono, while he keeps the books balanced by buying up foreclosed properties. Mohammed, an undocumented immigrant who often drives for them is concerned that the immigration lawyer, to whom he's making regular payments in cash, isn't really doing much on his—and his stepson's—cases.

Kenzie has convinced Ted they should check out this lawyer, but then he's found dead—by Kenzie—and the cops are trying to pin the murder on her. She's also the subject of a powerful online slander campaign, and Ted is getting close to inadvertently ticking off a very dangerous man. So, New York housing, building, and gentrification; shenanigans among the community that lives off foreclosures and other activities, like loan sharking; the continually shifting maze of immigration law and those who live in fear of deportation; and increasingly complex cyber attacks that suggest someone knows more than they should about Kenzie and Ted.

Michael Sears juggles these different subplots quite effectively, keeping Kenzie and Ted—and the reader—on their toes. If you like a good mystery that also gives you issues to ponder, you'll love Love the Stranger.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

Edward Molloy, better known as Ted, is back in the saddle, now living with his girlfriend, a community activist trying to stop the building of a highrise in Queens that will destroy a local neighborhood. A supposed law school student volunteers at the offices of Ted's girlfriend, Kenzie. Kenzie sends the volunteer to help Ted search through the boxes of records sent by the development company that Ted is suing. Kenzie's life begins to unravel when vicious articles about her are planted in the news media and online. As Ted and Kenzie's friends help them investigate, they are all put in danger. Lots of action and better character development in this second of the series.

An entertainingly gritty legal thriller and the second of its series, Love the Stranger tackles immigration politics and gentrification inside a loose whodunit, underpined by some warm character dynamics and a largely successful execution.