This fast-paced mystery begins with a missing person—Jeremy Young, a runaway from Maple Grove, an institution for juveniles who’ve run afoul of the law. Jeremy’s brother, Derek, sees him in a porn film and contacts detective Brad Frame and his side-kick, former probation officer Sharon Porter, for help in locating him.
The narrative quickly builds momentum when it becomes known that several other juveniles from Maple Grove have also been recruited. Frame and Porter interview everyone, from family members to administrators and counselors at the institution, bringing in the local police for additional help. Brad’s business partner and mentor, Nick Argostino, also assists in gathering leads, which initially implicate Carolyn Whiting, the top administrator at Maple Grove, as a suspect.
This is Flynt’s third book in the Brad Frame series and his writing style keeps the reader thoroughly engaged and the sequence of events just complicated enough to entice even the most jaded mystery fan. There are a couple dozen well sketched out characters, including Oliver, a blind probation officer who is instrumental in solving the case.
While the dialogue could be improved by adding a bit more rapport (ie humor) between the two main characters, there is certainly enough good stuff in the book to make it highly recommended.
Reviewed by JoeDelPriore for IndieReader