Sometimes you have to ask for forgiveness

When a twenty-year-old woman with a record for drugs and solicitation is found floating in the East River, everyone is ready to attribute her death to an accidental overdose. Everyone, that is, except Medical Examiner Michelle McNeill. She conveys her suspicions to her romantic interest, Detective Mike Stoneman. Since he’s rehabbing from injuries sustained in his last case and is not on active duty, Stoneman launches an investigation that’s part official, but mostly not. It’s driven by his and McNeill’s strong sense of right and wrong, with Stoneman’s partner, Jason Dickson, joining the cause. In addition to the overdose case, Dickson is working with a new, temporary partner, Ray McMillian, on a high-profile murder connected with a drugs and money laundering scheme. That case, too, erupts in violence, leaving Dickson juggling competing demands on his time and fighting office politics.

Together, these cases keep the action moving and the pages of Deadly Enterprise turning at a steady pace. Readers have insight behind the scenes, revealing a twisted world of corruption, murder, drugs, prostitution, and politics. The tension is palpable, as you’ll find yourself wondering how, when, or if Stoneman and Dickson can solve these cases while walking a tightrope between an official investigation and doing what’s right. Additionally, the romance between McNeill and Stoneman, started in the first book of the series, continues to develop, giving readers a chance to catch their breath in an enjoyable side story filled with the sights and sounds of New York City.

For me, part of the book’s draw comes from where on the continuum from do-right-by-the-victim to do-it-by-the-book Stoneman will fall. Initially, he’s pulled into the overdose investigation largely by McNeill’s concerns; he shares her suspicions but entertains other possibilities as well. As the story unfolds, demons from Dr. McNeill’s past keep her digging, with Stoneman becoming more and more immersed in acts that are certainly in a gray area of the law, if not illegal. How far will he go to make sure the guilty are caught? Far enough that he’s going to have to ask for forgiveness because he’ll never get permission for what he must do.

Overall, Deadly Enterprise is a taut, fast-paced crime thriller with plenty to think about after the last page is turned. ( )