SOMEONE HAD TO LIE

In Luellen’s sizzling legal thriller, some cases just won’t stay solved.

In the author’s debut Someone Had to Die (2022), legal professionals and romantic partners James Butler and Erica Walsh were instrumental in bringing to justice those behind the abduction and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. Eighteen months later, retired DEA Agent Joe Aguilar, who was involved in the case and became James’ friend, calls him to explain, “It was bigger than we thought and now we’re in danger,” right before he is murdered in Yuma, Arizona. James and Erica spend the rest of the book trying to parse Joe’s cryptic last words while attempting to determine why he was killed. Complicating things is a mysterious flash drive that the pair receives implicating the CIA in promoting drug trafficking by select Mexican cartels. The drive also puts a target on CIA agent Tim Speer, another friend who took part in the Camarena case. The couple must figure out who sent the documents and what their motivations are while trying to protect Tim. Going up against CIA spooks proves to be quite a challenge for a pair who are accustomed to being the smartest people in the room. In this complex outing, Luellen raises the bar for James, Erica, and their allies: In the series’ first volume, the Mexican cartels were the opposition; now, the even more shadowy activities of the CIA have been added to the mix. Going up against such a sensitive and violent bunch, James and Erica have to tread carefully. Luellen, himself a lawyer, had worked on cases connected to the actual Camarena case. His research is again front and center, supporting the narrative—the author brings to life a real rogue spy operation of which most readers aren’t aware. The novel’s chief flaw is the fact that it’s obviously a bridge book, leaving the bulk of the storylines unresolved. Still, James and Erica ensure that readers will enjoy the action-packed narrative.

This is a winner, packed with governmental misdeeds and threats of violence.