It All Falls Down

May 14, 2018
In Canadian author Kamal’s disappointing sequel to 2017’s The Lost Ones, danger looms when a mysterious stranger approaches Vancouver research assistant Nora Watts—who barely survived her last case, involving the kidnapping of the now-teenage daughter she gave up for adoption at birth. The man claims to have served with her late father, Sam Watts, as a Marine in Lebanon and hints that there might be more to learn about his suicide. Soon Nora is headed for her father’s hometown of Detroit, where her initial inquiries uncover little about Sam, but do offer a tantalizing lead about someone else—the mother whose face she has never even seen. Meanwhile, back on the other side of the border, Nora’s frenemy, PI Jon Brazuca, is also swimming into treacherous waters as he investigates an ostensibly unrelated case: the death by overdose of a billionaire’s pregnant mistress. Kamal demonstrates a knack for putting her kick-ass heroine in harm’s way, repeatedly, but unfortunately shows considerably less skill at crafting a coherent plot. Agent: Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Agency.

Starred review from May 15, 2018
The troubled Nora Watts searches for the truth about her father's supposed suicide in Kamal's follow-up to The Lost Ones (2017).Nora has a knack for finding missing people, but after a case involving her 16-year-old daughter, Bonnie, nearly killed her, she's taken on something more low key: helping her former employer, Sebastian Crow, who is dying of cancer, write his memoirs while taking much needed comfort in her dog, Whisper. When a man approaches her claiming to have served with her father, Samuel, in Lebanon, Nora decides to leave Vancouver and head to Detroit, where her father, a survivor of the Sixties Scoop in Canada--during which children of Indigenous heritage were forcibly put up for adoption--grew up. In the process, she makes shocking discoveries about her Palestinian mother, Sabrina, who abruptly left Nora and her sister, Lorelei, when they were little. After she's attacked in her hotel room, it's obvious that there may be much more to her father's death than she thought. Meanwhile, Nora's old AA sponsor, ex-cop Jon Brazuca, is asked by his billionaire friend, Bernard Lam, to find out who the dealer was who supplied his pregnant mistress, Clementine, with the drugs that killed her. Brazuca's search leads him to a dangerous gang that may have ties to the people who nearly killed Nora and Bonnie, and he discovers that Nora is in grave danger. Although not as bloody as the first book, this installment is no less compelling or gritty, and Nora, who remains as prickly and conflicted as ever, finds danger everywhere she goes. Kamal laces her narrative with a palpable melancholy, effectively capturing the urban decay of Detroit while emphasizing the vibrancy and hope of the people who inhabit it. An explosive finale, which takes place during Detroit's yearly Angel's Night, sets the stage for more to come from this complicated, flawed, and utterly enthralling heroine.A stunning, emotionally resonant thriller.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2018

Having found the daughter she gave up for adoption in The Lost Ones, Nora Watts now turns to the question of her father, who killed himself when she was a child. Her investigation takes her from Vancouver, BC, to Detroit, where he grew up as one of numerous Canadian native children adopted by American families. There she uncovers not only the mystery of her father's death but also questions about her mother, whom she never knew. Back in Vancouver, investigator Jon Brazuca agrees to look into the overdose of a billionaire's pregnant mistress. It's no surprise that the two cases share a connection--nor is it a shock that Watts and Brazuca continue to deny their feelings for each other. Touching on many weighty subjects, such as the opioid crisis, the adoption of Canadian indigenous children, and Detroit's deterioration, the story moves briskly. While enough background is given to help new readers, this title appears to be the middle installment of a possible trilogy, leaving those who haven't read the first book missing out on its full impact. VERDICT Mystery fans who enjoy their crime fiction headed by strong, cynical heroines will appreciate this, but they should start first with The Lost Ones. [See Prepub Alert, 1/22/18.]--Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2018

In this follow-up to last summer's gritty The Lost Ones, Nora Watts tries to make sense of her father's brutal life and death by traveling from her native Vancouver, BC, to Detroit, where he grew up as one of numerous Canadian native children adopted by American families. Private investigator Jon Brazuca needs to warn Nora that she's in danger, but she's swerved off the grid. With a 100,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.