Tell No Lies by Allison Brennan @Allison_Brennan @suzannetfortin @HarlequinBooks @librofm

College student and environmental science intern Emily Perez heads out to an area of Mount Wrightson in Arizona where she’d spotted some dead birds earlier in the week while with her boss. She suspected that it might be a sign of contamination but wanted to inspect it closer on her own before raising alarms. Her boyfriend accompanied her but when she made a sudden stop on her own, she was attacked and died before he could get her help. FBI Supervisory Special Agent Matt Costa has assembled his Mobile Response Unit in nearby Tucson to investigate not only her murder but Southwest Copper Refinery, a company he suspects of illegal dumping. He has two members of his team working undercover in Patagonia where the company is headquartered, FBI Agent Michael Harris and LAPD Detective Kara Quinn who for now has joined the unit.

Did this story take a serious turn! What I thought would be something more along the lines of corporate misbehavior ended up being sinister and deadly. There are a lot of characters from the town and the company who make it difficult to discern whether they’re part of the problem, clueless or allies in the search for the truth. I loved seeing Kara in action as she has years of undercover experience and taught the rest of the team a thing or two. She and Matt are still doing a dance, made more complicated now that she’s working for him. It’s fun to see both grapple with or deny their mutual strong attraction.

The story includes elements of human trafficking involving the exploitation of migrants, specifically children. It was heartbreaking, especially as I sensed much of it was based on reality. However, I enjoyed how Matt used his team and navigated the politics of local law enforcement to solve the case and find resolution. It was a tough one on several levels and brought the tension, suspense and excitement. I loved the first book and had lower expectations of this one based on the description, which was a mistake as I finished this in a day. The narrator continues to do exceptional storytelling with pacing to match the rhythm and vibe of the writing. I’m so glad I opted for the audio version and am highly enjoying this series.

Book Info

• Release Date: March 30, 2021
  
• Series: Quinn & Costa #2
• Narrator: Suzanne T. Fortin
• Audio Length: 12 hours, 27 minutes
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio

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(Thanks to Harlequin Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)