I was sorely tempted to give up on Network of Deceitafter 100 pages, but I stuck it out, reading a couple of chapters at a time. The thin murder mystery plot lacks the intrigue and complexity needed to sustain the novel. Threadgill supplements it with numerous scenes focusing on homicide detective Amara Alvarez’s extended family. But her family is not particularly interesting, and the scenes focusing on her family are uninteresting. The identity of the murderer is surprising, but by that time, I didn’t particularly care. I was just happy to be done with the book ( )

Title: Network of Deceit (Amara Alvarez #2)
Author: Tom Threadgill
Pages: 384
Year: 2021
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 5 put pf 5 stars
The main character is introduced in the novel Collision of Lies, which I highly recommend! Tom Threadgill weaves suspense-filled tales that will definitely keep readers burning the midnight oil to finish! In Network of Deceit, Detective Amara Alvarez is looking for the person responsible for a teen’s death while also facing hard family news. The clues are few and the list of suspects is quite long. While trying to find something concrete to back up her gut instinct, she has to keep the case from going cold. A fellow detective named Starksy is interested in dating Alvarez but is afraid of ruining their friendship not to mention making working together difficult if things go south.
I don’t know if I could choose which one of the two books thus far are better because they both are wonderful tales. The ending in this tale was a surprise, and it left some questions about the why of who did the crime unanswered. The only negative part for me was having a character suffering from cancer. It’s as if authors don’t know what other ailments folks suffer with, and those of us who have been beside others who suffered find reading it in a book quite hard. I noticed too very little references to anything regarding the faith or beliefs of the characters.
If you are looking for a high-octane ride and a story that will leave you looking for the author’s next book, here it is! It is an outstanding story, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Detective Alvarez!
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )

Amara Alvarez is a homicide detective in Texas. A teen boy is found dead in a water park, and Amara has to figure out why and how. This story deals with hackers and is pretty engaging, but Amara is kind of unlikeable, and is hard to sympathize with. ( )

After proving herself with the Cotulla case as told in Collision of Lies, tough as nails but endearing Amara Alvarez has moved to the Homicide Division. Her first real case will prove a challenge as will fitting in with her seasoned colleagues. The case of Zachary Coleman, a teen who turned up dead at a water park, has quite a few puzzling aspects. Amara is an independent an savvy cop, but she knows when to ask for help. From the title and the cover, it is clear the case involves cyber crime. But this case has more twists and turns , so Amara has to focus on certain clues.
Jeremiah *Starsky* Peckham is an ally in the squad room and offers his help, although Amara usually opts to go it alone. The relationship Starsky and Amara began in Collision of Lies goes a step further here. It was fun and a welcome break from the tenseness of the case to experience their banter. We get another peek at the Alvarez family and how they pull together in a crisis.
I learned a lot about cyber crime and how the police deal with it. This was a real page turner and hard to put down. I liked it for its realistic characters, quick pace and excellent research. I would consider this a clean read, although some characters are Christian.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell on behalf of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* ( )

I was so glad to see that there was a book after Collision of Lies so we could read more about Amara Alvarez. This story is a continuation of the first book and I do recommend reading them in order. Amara is a great female lead as she is strong, independent, and smart. I enjoyed the relationship between Amara and “Starsky” and found the characters to once again be intriguing. I liked the twists and turns in this novel that always kept me guessing. I think that themes of faith were subtler and perhaps lost a bit in the suspense, but the novel is clean and enjoyable to read. Overall, I liked this novel and look forward to more by this author!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. ( )