Tricky

November 23, 2020
LAPD homicide detective Niels Madsen, the protagonist of this engrossing mystery from Stallings (Young Americans), is on his way to work when he comes across an armed standoff between a rookie cop he knows and considers trigger-happy and a man at a bus stop. Madsen manages to disarm the stranger, later identified as Francisco Gutierrez, who was left intellectually disabled after a severe beating two years earlier. Gutierrez is standing near the body of David Torres, a low-level thug who apparently was shot with Gutierrez’s weapon. Gutierrez denies killing Torres, whom he considered a friend. But Madsen questions that denial after learning of the suspect’s violent past, which includes a first-degree murder conviction when Gutierrez was 14. Madsen must sort out whether Gutierrez, who doesn’t recall whether he fired the shot that killed Torres, is innocent. Stallings makes Madsen a well-rounded lead, even as he keeps the reader guessing. Those looking for an alternative to standard police procedural whodunits will be rewarded. Agent: Amy Moore-Benson, Meridian Artists (Canada).

Starred review from January 1, 2021

Just 15 minutes before his shift ends, LAPD homicide detective Niels Madsen rolls up on a scene that could destroy his career. The veteran cop sees a rookie holding a man at gunpoint at a bus stop. Madsen intervenes, only to discover the man has a gun, but he's protecting the body of another man. Because of the body, Niels and his new partner take control of the crime scene. It appears that Francisco "Cisco" Gutierrez shot his friend, David. But appearances can be deceiving. Once a notorious gang member, Cisco now appears to be intellectually disabled. Madsen wants the truth for the victim's family. A territorial dispute with the sheriff's department, which sends over Cisco's file but also wants to claim the suspect as their catch, muddies the case. Once Niels meets others who know Cisco now, he decides to prove the man did not kill David. The sheriff's deputies seem to be waiting for Niels to make a mistake. It's a setup for a violent conclusion. VERDICT Stallings's (Young Americans) challenging must-read for police procedural fans reflects today's society. Forced to ask questions about bias, intellectual disability, police actions, and redemption, Niels stands in contrast to cops who resort to violence.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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January 1, 2021
Niels Madsen, a homicide detective for the LAPD, finds himself literally caught in the middle between a couple of cops and a former gang leader, Cisco, whose recent injury has left him intellectually disabled--or so he claims. The former gangbanger appears to have killed a man; he says the victim was his friend and denies killing him, but Madsen isn't sure what to believe. As he investigates, he uncovers hidden truths about the L.A. gang scene and also about local law enforcement. This is a finely crafted novel. Noirishly hard-boiled, the book is much more than a police procedural; it's an exploration of some serious themes, such as personal redemption and the societal prejudices against the disabled (the dead man had Down syndrome; Cisco may be suffering from brain damage). Stallings is known to mystery readers as the author of the gritty Moses McGuire mysteries, and fans of those books will definitely enjoy this one.

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