Mateo Vega, a one-time employee of Ali Reynold’s husband, B. Simpson, has spent the last sixteen years of his life behind bars. According to the courts, he murdered his girlfriend. But Mateo knows that her real killer is still on the loose, and the first thing he’s going to do when he gets a taste of freedom is track him down.
After being granted parole, a wary Mateo approaches Stu Ramey of High Noon Enterprises for a reference letter for a job application, but to his surprise, Stu gives him one better: He asks him to come on board and work for B. once again. Just as Mateo starts his new job, though, chaos breaks out at High Noon—a deadbeat tenant who is in arrears has just fled, and tech expert Cami Lee has gone missing.
As Ali races to both find a connection between the two disappearances and help Mateo clear his name with the help of PI J.P. Beaumont, tragedy strikes in her personal life, and with lives hanging in the balance, she must thread the needle between good and evil before it’s too late.
Release Date:Â Jun 1, 2021
Series:Â Ali Reynolds
Book: 16
Publisher:Â Simon & Schuster
Imprint:Â Gallery
Price: $14.99
Ali Reynolds is a former news anchor who now helps her husband, B. Simpson, run a highly regarded cybersecurity company in Arizona. Business is booming and they are shorthanded. When searching for a new employee, someone who used to work for B. several years ago comes to their attention. Matteo Vega is very talented, but has been in prison for a murder he insists he didn’t commit, and B. and Ali must decide if they are willing to give him a chance. At the same time, Ali and her employee Cami Lee are dealing with a belligerent, deadbeat tenant from their office building. When Cami abruptly disappears, this obnoxious guy becomes the prime suspect. Everyone at High Noon must work together to find Cami before it’s too late. Â
Even though this book is part of a long-running series, it reads as a standalone. It is not a traditional mystery in that there are a few different subplots, but we already know who is behind Cami’s disappearance and the murder Matteo served time for is definitely a cold case. However, there is definitely some tension regarding Cami. Her life hangs in the balance while she pushes herself to the limit while her friends try to get to her in time. I like the way everyone pulls together for Cami’s sake, including the office’s AI, Frigg, who is a big help, but luckily doesn’t dominate the story as has happened in a couple of other books in the series.
I like the character of Matteo and hope he continues in future books since he is a great addition to the High Noon team. The resolution of his story seemed a little too simple, but includes the welcome surprise of J.P Beaumont making an appearance. Beau is the main character in one of the author’s other series and I loved catching up with him when he gets involved in looking into Matteo’s case. Â
The book also includes a sad subplot in Ali’s personal life. Ali’s father is showing signs of dementia and Ali must help her parents through this crisis. I have to admit this subplot went in a direction I never expected and I was shocked at how things turned out.
Except for the suspenseful scenes related to Cami’s disappearance, this isn’t an action-packed book. However, the interesting characters and the excellent writing kept my interest throughout the book. I look forward to reading more in this series.
~ Christine
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