The Janes (Alice Vega #2) #louisaluna @doubledaybooks #alicevega #policeprocedural #sextrafficing #powerfulfemaleprotagonist #duoreviews #fictionfriends @JanBelisle @absltmom

Looking for a strong female protagonist, Jan and I had to look no further than the character Alice Vega created by Louisa Luna. She is a tough take charge woman who has both guts and bravery that propel her forward into intense and very dangerous situations. Smart, determined, and brash, armed with her partner Cap, Vega takes on the dredges of society and fights for what is right and just.

Jan’s review

Vega and Cap are back! Two unidentified Latina teenage girls are found dead, the nameless “Janes” that no one seems to be looking for.  However, there is a piece of evidence that links them, which also suggests that they are part of a sex trafficking ring, and more girls are in danger. A race is on to solve this case and find the other girls before they too are found dead, dumped by the side of the road like trash.

PI Jane Vega is called in to help with the case and she once again teams up with ex-cop Max Caplan to work the case. The themes of sex trafficking, illegal immigration, and drug cartels are at the forefront of this crime thriller/procedural. Although this isn’t anything new or fresh, the dynamic between Vega and Cap really makes this story shine. Vega is a brilliant, mysterious badass and Cap is just as talented, but in a more good-natured, capable way. The subtle humor and the growing attraction between Vega and Cap adds even more interest to this couple. I also really enjoy the dynamics between Cap and his daughter, Nell, and I hope to see more of her again in book #3.

As they work the case, they begin to slowly uncover the ugly truth. The first half of the story is a slow burn with the tension and suspense ramping up at the 50% mark. Some disbelief may need to be suspended but it didn’t detract from the story.  I liked the first book in the series, Two Girls Down, a bit better, but this one is solid and can work as a standalone.  

I really love that this author features intelligent, capable women. I’m very much looking forward to book #3!

*I received a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own

Marialyce’s review

Alice Vega (Vega) and Max Caplan (Cap) are brought together again in the second installment of the Alice Vega book series. The two are assigned to a case as private investigators, who become involved in searching for the killers of these two girls, labeled The Janes.

 Tragically, no one seems to care that these young teenagers ever lived.  They are throwaway girls having no identification. Will they become just two other nameless bodies in a morgue destined to be buried in a grave without even knowing who they were?

Vega and Cap are convinced that what is playing out before their eyes, is a case of human sex trafficking. As they investigate further, nefarious actions are played out and their suspicions become reality. These girls and others that have both preceded and followed them, have no recourse as they are bartered and sold into a vile and depraved sex trafficking market. Their lives are considered useless, their bodies are considered to be the fodder for illicit sex. Can Vega and Cap be the catalyst that shuts down some part of this heinous trade of human flesh?

Determined to see that no other young girls are subjected to the horrors that the two dead Janes had experienced, Alice and Cap team up with the local police and the FBI to solve this crime.

Along the way they are met with danger, intrigue and an underpinning of corruption, greed, and exploitation.

This was a fine crime story developed with strong characters especially in the person of Alice. The characters’s actions and deeds are what propels the story to its dramatic conclusion.

Thank you to Louisa Luna, Doubleday, and Edelweiss for a copy of this recently published book.

and here’s the author

Louisa Luna is the author of the novels Brave New Girl, Crooked, and Serious As A Heart Attack. She was born and raised in the city of San Francisco and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.