Aubrey Hamilton Reviews: A Season to Lie by Emily Littlejohn

A Season to Lie by Emily Littlejohn (Minotaur, 2017) is the satisfying follow-up to this series’ highly praised debut Inherit the Bones. Gemma Monroe returns from maternity leave to her job with a small Colorado police force in a blinding snowstorm, finding a stack of reports on a desk that she left completely cleared three months earlier. Before she has time to review them and learn what’s happened in her absence, she and her partner Finn respond to an anonymous call about a prowler at a private school. Wondering who could possibly want to be out on a night like this, Gemma and Finn rouse the security firm to let them into the locked campus and circle the buildings, looking for signs of entrance, theft, or vandalism. They find none, but Gemma does discover the gruesomely dead body of an internationally known writer who was teaching part-time at the school under an assumed name and an altered appearance.

Their investigation uncovers eccentric staff members at the school with complex relationships and sets off a media firestorm. One of the students reports extensive bullying among the students, instigated by someone only known as Grimm. In addition, a putative construction group has moved into town but the personnel look remarkably like members of organized crime.  

On the home front Gemma has still not married Brody, the father of her baby, despite the urging of her friends and family. His early infidelity has left her distrustful of him, no matter what he does. He’s accepted a contract to write a textbook, which he can do while he looks after Grace, allowing Gemma to return to work. He quickly becomes bored and frustrated with full-time childcare, though. Sorting through and balancing their individual needs perplexes Gemma while she enjoys the first few months of her baby’s life, and she thrives on the intellectual stimulation of the investigation.

Two more books in this very good police procedural series have been published, and they are all well written, reliably solid reads. The distinctive setting of Colorado provides great context for the action, but the people are the strongest element. Gemma is a believably complex person, surrounded by secondary characters no less well developed. This story drops some clear hints about her future with Brody. Strongly recommended. Start with the first book if at all possible.

·         Hardcover: 304 pages

·         Publisher: Minotaur Books (November 14, 2017)

·         Language: English

·         ISBN-10: 1250089417

·         ISBN-13: 978-1250089410

Aubrey Hamilton ©2020

Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.