Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Kevin’s Corner Annex – Illusion of Truth by James L’Etoile

Publication Day Review: Illusion of Truth: A Novel by James L’Etoile

 

The third book of the police procedural series that began with The Face of Greed delivers in every possible way for the reader. Illusion of Truth: A Novel begins a few months after River of Lies and starts with a bang.

 

The call out to a local church was a ploy to get police officers to respond. Allegedly, according to the caller to dispatch, there was some sort of disturbance involving a large crowd looting a church in North Sacramento. The church is located on the edge of the territory held by a certain gang though the church itself is supposed to be neutral territory and safe from all the gangs. For the several officers that responded to the scene, the place was anything but safe. Within minutes of their arrival, two separate improvised explosive devices are detonated.

 

Several officers are seriously injured in the blasts. That includes Sergent Brian Connor who recently asked Homicide Detective Emily Hunter to move in with him. She said she wasn’t ready. With his injuries now, she may never have the chance to change her mind.

 

Homicide Detective Emily Hunter is very used to getting the middle of the night call to go to a crime scene. This time the call is from a lieutenant who tells her to respond instead at the hospital. It was supposed to be his night off. Instead, Brian Connor is fighting for his life in the trauma unit.

 

Detective Hunter wants in on the investigation. One that is being led by her partner, Javier Medina. Not that he is not a good detective. He certainly is. But, she can’t just sit by. She is going to be involved, no matter what. Since that will happen anyway, her Lieutenant gives her the go ahead to work the case, but she has to follow Medina’s lead to the letter or she is benched. She agrees. Before long the case leads them in ways they never saw coming.

 

This third book in the police procedural series published by Oceanview Publishing is a good one. A read that could stand on its own if you are new to the series. But, those who choose to read the series in order will get far more out of the book.

 

One aspect of this series is the developing relationship between Hunter and Connor. So too is the evolving political scene as well as the fallout from earlier cases Hunter has worked. There are other aspects as well that continue to be developed and evolve. Those aspects are why this is a series that should be read in order.

 

Bottom Line---A very good read and strongly recommended.

 
 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3YynS1j

 

 

My digital ARC came from the author with no expectation of a read or a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

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.