Reviewed:
This story is the second in a series - sadly the first is not on SOL, but happily, that is not important to following this story or understanding Linc, the hero of the piece.
The school massacre of the title is the mystery and the main twist - the mother of the gunman (gunyouth?) can't accept the narrative, and calls an old flame for a favour...
Linc is a private detective with eidetic memory. Quite an important fact. He was in the special forces, and has the skill sets required to be confident, and put together facts rather than accepting what is in front of him.
The story is listed as 'some sex' which I feel underplays the sex content a lot. Really a lot. Linc hops beds with amazing frequency and vitality and the stereotypical bad guys use coercion and rape (very much front and centre) throughout almost every one of their scenes.
The twists and turns towards the end fully justify the 'violent' tag, and the action is well thought out, if somewhat a stretch in places.
Worth a read even if you choose to skip over some triggers, as the plot and story are well crafted, and the penmanship (and/or editing) is first class. Certainly worthy of publication, which figures as it has been.
-SPOILERS - stop here to avoid!-
The underlying story is about drugs, trafficking, a minor cartel, and two very small towns either side of the border. It could have been very bland, but really isn't, having plenty of well presented characters, sufficient detail to follow the unraveling of the initial premise, and well described background to hold your interest. As if in any doubt it's the 'long arm of the cartel' that is pulling puppet strings, and Linc is there to see through the blind assumptions, and cut the situation open.
Not my kind of story (science fiction please) but very polished storytelling, and short enough for a speed reader to tick through in a short session.
Recommended as long as you pay attention to the codes.
Myth