No Witness but the Moon

Starred review from August 15, 2016
Given the nation’s current turmoil over police shootings, Chazin’s exceptionally well-written third Jimmy Vega mystery (after 2015’s A Blossom of Bright Light) should be required reading, as it provides profound insight into the shock, horror, and chaos of such a shooting. Homicide cop Vega, an 18-year veteran of the Lake Holly, N.Y., police, has never had to use his service weapon, until a robbery suspect flees into the woods on a wintry December night. Minutes later, Vega has fatally shot an unarmed man. In quick succession, he’s barred from speaking about the incident, suspended from duty, and shunned by colleagues, friends, and family. When the victim is identified, Vega’s life takes a turn for the worse, since both he and his girlfriend, Adele Figueroa, have ties to the man’s family. A media firestorm, community outrage, and threats against Vega and his loved ones force him to dig deep into the shooting’s circumstances. As the pressure mounts, Vega discovers contradictory, labyrinthine evidence that leads to his own past. Leap-off-the-page characters complement the relentless plot. Agent: Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management.