Not quite as good as the first one but still excellent. This is one of my favorite new series and I am bummed I will have to wait a while for the next book. ( )

I slightly preferred the first in this series, but this one was definitely a page-turner. Vega and Cap spent the entire book in peril and escaping from threatening situations repeatedly, even while recovering from a stabbing (Vega) and electrocution (Cap). The plot was fairly convoluted and perhaps the book went on a bit longer than it needed to, but the very end was good. ( )

This is the second title in the Alice Vega series.

As a result of the first case that she solved in TWO GIRLS DOWN private investigator Alice Vega is contacted by local San Diego police and the FBI for help in identifying the bodies of two young women. Vega collaborates with the Medical Examiner to reconstruct the deaths of these two young women. She contacts ex-cop Max Caplan to work with her on the case.

Independently young women who are part of a human trafficking ring have heard of Alice Vega and are hoping she may help them to escape their captors.

Vega has her own methods of getting people to talk, and she gradually builds a picture of what is going on. At each page you do wonder what she is going to do next, and there are many surprises which in their turn they help to build suspense and tension. Vega also has her own resources in getting background information. She and Max Caplan complement each other nicely.

A series worth tackling. ( )

I love the re-invention of the "strong female character" and this author does it well. The story pulls you in, the action keeps you interested and the characters are complex and real. The cruelty of life depicted is disheartening but realistic. I will keep reading this series. ( )

When the bodies of two young females are discovered, police enlist the help of PI Alice Vega and Max Caplan aka “Cap” to discover their identities and those of their killer. With little more than stolen IUDs for evidence, Vega and Cap work backwards to uncover an underage sex trafficking ring with questionable ties to police corruption.

Having not read the first in this series, I worried I might’ve been at a disadvantage. This book stands nicely alone. That said, I didn’t completely connect with the story or the victims’ plight. Beginning with the promise of a gripping mystery, The Janes quickly devolves into one too many action sequences for my taste.

The cast of characters is large, with a lot of hard-to-track connections. This could be the byproduct of starting with book two, but I don’t think so. Vega and Cap’s chemistry is strong and what pulled me through what would have otherwise felt like a formulaic read. Vega being a PI is used as a device to veer from the standard procedural fare. She is a bit vigilante, and maybe I like that about her, but by the end she felt almost superhuman—a trait I’m not a fan of.

The mystery is diluted by the sheer number of Cap and Vega mishaps, of which there are many. There are a lot of chases, detainments, injuries, and some not-so-believable sequences that ramp up toward an unfortunate ending that left me feeling conflicted. I fought the urge to skim read the pages and pages devoted to fight or flight. While technically pretty well written, The Janes pacing felt “off.” I can’t put my finger on why, but I have a lukewarm feeling walking away from this one. Probably it’s just me. Three-and-a-half stars with thanks to the author and Netgalley for the ARC. ( )