Did not receive/read in time due to technical error on kindle/tablet. Not having left feedback has due to error has impacted my shelves. Leaving 4 stars.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Mia Quinn discovers that a series of seemingly unrelated murders are linked. How far up are the strings being pulled—and what happens when one of her own is at risk?
The murder Mia is prosecuting seems like an open and shut case—until the accused claims he was the real victim and that the dead girl attacked him first. The tabloids dub her a "lethal beauty." Still, a conviction seems imminent. Then a key witness goes missing. Just when it looks like the killer could walk free, the dead woman’s mother takes matters into her own hands.
Meanwhile, Charlie Carlson, a Seattle homicide detective, is investigating the murder of a man whose body washed up on the beach of Puget Sound, but he's got little to go on. He has no dental work, fingerprints aren't on file, and he doesn't match any missing person reports. Then a church pianist is senselessly gunned down before horrified parishioners.
All three cases seem unrelated—but are they? Together, Mia and Charlie race to find the answer before another crime hits too close to home.

This was the third book in this series and I haven't read any of the others before today.

Having not read this author before, I wasn't too sure what to expect. Add to that the fact that Christian fiction isn't usually my first choice for mysteries, and I figured this was going to be a definite case of hit or miss. And, for the most part, it was a hit!

How good a character is Mia Quinn?? Both as an prosecutor and as a single mother, she is tough, yet very warm and tender when the moment calls for it. She has forged a hard path for herself but is dealing with it all admirably.

The topics of slavery and sex trafficking are very relatable - even though they are horrific crimes, sadly, they are very prevalent in this day and age. They are handled extremely well and given the gravity they deserve.

But it is in the courtroom where this story really hits its mark for me. Very believable scenes and great sections of dialogue as both sides of the law interview prospective members of the jury and discover their experiences.

This is a very cool story and I will now want to go back and read the first 2 books!!


Paul
ARH

Beauty can be deceiving - and it is about what you want to see, sometimes. Sometimes you see just your own pleasure. Sometimes the beauty of life money can offer can lure you to get blind and to forget the truth. Sometimes you prefer the beauty of your own comfort to not see the suffering of your fellow humans. And sometimes anything what can cover your inner brokenness might seem as a beautiful thing, too.
But the true beauty is inside.

And this is the morale of the third Mia Quinn's story - and don't let my preachy start of the review discourage you from reading this swift, fast-paced and intelligent police procedural book! I devoured all of the series in just days. I love it because it is very human - like the heroine Mia and her homicide detective sidekick Charlie (whom I ship with her very hard) can see all of the ugliness of human nature and what one person can do to another, but this can not stop them from trying to do their best. They are not any Hollywood-like superheroes, just the people strongly believing in justice (while being tired, angry, messy and otherwise normal human beings).
And they feel very personal - at least I think that the authoress (a lawyer and a mother of two herself) has lent Mia a lot from her experience and vulnerability. That might be why she is so relatable.

This story might be a bit weaker than the previous ones (maybe because Mia's personal life and struggles was not that much involved), but it is still of a supreme quality. The topic of human trafficking lies heavy on my heart.

I just hope for the next meeting with this series!