Aubrey Nye Hamilton Reviews: Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile

  

James L’Etoile has nearly 30 years of experience within the criminal justice system as associate warden in a maximum-security prison, hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California' s state parole system. His writing is laden with the authoritative detail only someone with that kind of background can supply. His series characters include Detective Nathan Parker of the Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Department; Detective John Penley of the Sacramento, California, Police Department; and Detective Emily Hunter of the Sacramento, California, Police Department.

The third book about Detective Hunter will be released on 6 January by Oceanview, a publishing house I’ve come to rely on for good crime fiction.

Illusion of Truth (Oceanview, January 2026) finds Detective Emily Hunter at a crossroads in her relationship with Detective Brian Conner. He wants to share living arrangements and she isn’t ready. With that on his mind, Conner and his partner respond to a call about a crowd and an active burglary near a church in a rough section of the city. Several units respond, only to find no crowds and no evidence of criminal activity. They are dispersing when a bomb explodes under one police unit and another goes off in the church doorway where Conner and his partner are standing. Both are injured, Conner severely.

The residents of the area are among those demanding a reduction of police funding and accusing the force of overzealous monitoring. A councilman named Davis speaks up whenever possible, accusing the police of brutality and improper behavior. The bombings are seen by some as the natural outcome of abusive law enforcement.

Emily and her partner Javier Medina dive headfirst into the investigation, despite her supervisor’s urging to let others lead. However, I can’t credibly believe she would be allowed anywhere near a case in which she had such a personal investment. Yes, I know this is fiction.

The councilman’s involvement is questioned when Emily and her colleagues learn that the components for the bombs were purchased from the electronics store that the councilman owns. Some good detail throughout about mobile explosive devices, their construction, and the ways they can be deployed.

An original story with a realistic scenario. The push to defund police departments in some areas is quite real and its inclusion here as a major plot point is timely. The links between street gangs and unethical police are known, if not always acknowledged, sometimes with adverse public safety impact. The changing misdirection, especially in regards to the retired captain, is nicely handled. Emily’s mother continued deterioration is a sad situation that many readers will recognize from first-hand experience.

Emily herself is intelligent, quick-thinking, and a natural for the detective role. Her willingness to take risks, though, sometimes borders on the foolhardy.

For fans of contemporary police procedurals. No need to read the earlier books in the series, this one is fine as a stand-alone. Starred review from Kirkus.

·         Publisher: ‎Oceanview Publishing

·         Publication date: ‎January 6, 2026

·         Language: ‎English

·         Print length: ‎366 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎1608096491

·         ISBN-13: ‎978-1608096497

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/45uiD6D

 

 

Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2026

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