A cheerleader is found murdered at Los Angeles USC football stadium. Calvin Watters ex USC star player, ex mob enforcer and current Private Investigator is hired to find the culprit and not embarrass the USC. He combines family and work by taking his girlfriend to meet his LA cop brother and family.
During the investigation he locks horns with LAPD investigating officer Charlene Taylor. Charlene is driven and trying to live up to the legacy of her murdered cop dad, even inheriting his old partner.
Eventually they work together, Taylor using Watters inside knowledge to progress the investigation. However Watters is not universally welcomed at his old stomping ground.
My review...
The investigation takes place in the totally alien (to me) worlds of US college life with fraternities, sororities, cheerleading scholarships and college football. Where crowds of 70k+ often watch inter university US football games. Yes the USA does seem a bit bonkers but college football is big business and the stakes are high.
The two main protagonists have well filled in back stories with lots of mileage already on their clocks. They both have an aggressive attitude to investigating and interviewing suspects. My unconscious brain, as it does sometimes, cast one of the characters. In this case Calvin Watters was the Rock!
There are numerous minor characters that help to flesh out the story and a few red herrings for us to chase.
Was it a sorority initiation gone wrong, obsessed stalker, love triangle, jealous teammate cheerleader. All possibilities are investigated.
The author has brought his two main characters together from his two previous series so it is a a cross over book. I tried to think of a similar situation (dogged female police investigative officer and handsome private investigator) from a UK perspective and the best I could come up with was Vera and Eddie Shoestring 😳 which quite frankly would be hilarious! And nowhere near as glam and sexy as LA.
I found this to be an enjoyable, and solid police procedural. In an unusual setting.
Selected quotes...
"They called her “Double D” around the LAPD, and it wasn’t just because of her initials. Dana had told Charlene that they had been high school graduation gifts from her parents."
"Watters had a strong relationship to USC, and any college alumni felt a strong bond to their school, and anyone who attended, especially the football family. The bond was tightly wound, unbreakable, and Charlene wondered how the former running back would handle investigating one of his ‘brothers’."
“This is 2020. Social media is everything for a lot of people, especially college students. They live and breathe through how many friends and followers they can attract. That’s why people count the ‘likes’ on their posts,and go back ten times to check it. They wonder if they did something wrong if their count isn’t high, and they’re traumatized if they’re ‘unfriended’ or ‘unfollowed’.”
"There was never an ‘off’ moment for a detective— no punch- out clock, or time to sit back and enjoy the ride. It was constant, case after case, always on call and on the go. Charlene had cop blood running through her."
About the author...
Luke Murphy is the International bestselling author of two series. The Calvin Watters Mysteries: Dead Man’s Hand (2012) and Wild Card (2017). The Charlene Taylor Mysteries: Kiss & Tell (2015) and Rock-A-Bye Baby (2019).
Murphy played six years of professional hockey before retiring in 2006.
His sports column, “Overtime” (Pontiac Equity), was nominated for the 2007 Best Sports Page in Quebec and won the award in 2009. He has also worked as a radio journalist (CHIPFM 101.7).
Murphy lives in Shawville, QC with his wife and three daughters. He is a teacher who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing, and a Bachelor of Education (Magna Cum Laude).
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