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The Janes: Book summary and reviews of The Janes by Louisa Luna

The Janes

Alice Vega #2

by Louisa Luna

The Janes by Louisa Luna X
The Janes by Louisa Luna
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  • Published Jan 2020
    368 pages
    Genre: Thrillers

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Book Summary

The electric follow-up to Louisa Luna's acclaimed thriller Two Girls Down, featuring private investigators Alice Vega and Max Caplan.

On the outskirts of San Diego, the bodies of two young women are discovered. They have no names, no IDs, and no family looking for them. Fearing the possibility of a human trafficking ring, the police and FBI reach out to Alice Vega, a private investigator known for finding the missing, for help in finding out who the Janes were--and finding the others who are missing.
 
Alice Vega is a powerful woman whose determination is matched only by her intellect, and, along with her partner Cap, she will stop at nothing to find the Janes before it is too late.

Louisa Luna is writing new classics of crime fiction, and her partnership of Vega and Cap is rightfully joining the pantheon of the most memorable in crime fiction.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"PI Alice Vega is nothing less than an utterly compelling protagonist in her second case, which resumes her remarkable partnership with fellow PI Max Caplan...A somewhat Shakespearean ending satisfies with triumphant women standing strong on a stage littered with battered villains." - Booklist (starred review)

"Though the fast and furious action sometimes stretches credulity, in marked contrast to the gritty realism of the rest of the novel, this dynamic duo rates a long run." - Publishers Weekly

"An intricately plotted, adrenaline-fueled conspiracy thriller...Luna's latest entertains while subverting gender stereotypes and confronting the politics of immigration." - Kirkus Reviews

"Lead character Alice Vega is sensational - I want to see lots more of her." - Lee Child

"The Janes is a timely, gripping thriller with an ending that will leave you utterly satisfied but wanting more of Alice Vega. Get to know her now, because she and her partner, Max Caplan, will be around for the long haul." - Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister

"Packed with thrills and heartache, The Janes kept me up way past my bedtime to see what rule-bending, jaw-breaking, no-fools-suffering P.I. Alice Vega would do next in her relentless pursuit of justice for the victims of a border sex trafficking ring. An absolutely rip-roaring read from a fantastic talent." - Amy Gentry, bestselling author of Good as Gone

This information about The Janes was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Cloggie Downunder

brilliant crime fiction
“Cap watched Vega carefully. He knew what her questions would be before she asked them, but she still managed to make them seem fresh, innocent, curious. She pulled every last bit of information from Sarita Guerra like she was winding the string on a kite, drawing it in for a tight, safe landing.”

The Janes is the second book in the Alice Vega series by American author, Louisa Luna. The two “Jane Does” were Latinas, probably illegals, with the same killer, and a piece of evidence indicates there are more girls somewhere, maybe still alive. Alice Vega is called in by the San Diego PD and the DEA; off the books, cash. She insists on bringing in her own consultant.

Even though he has just received a permanent work offer from a lawyer in Denville, with all the benefits that entails, Max Caplan jumps at the chance to work with Alice again: clearly, despite an interval of many months since their first encounter, his crush has not abated.

There is something not quite right about the whole thing, so Vega, always cautious, holds back some of her findings and, when certain people begin acting out of character, her reluctance to share is vindicated. Still, with her brilliant deductive mind and her excellent IT resources, she and Cap are quickly on the way to locating the girls. But this turns out to be far more dangerous than they might have expected when Mexican drug lords form part of the bigger picture.

Vega and Caplan’s second outing is fast-paced and cleverly plotted, with more than one exciting climax. As before, the dynamic between these two is a delight. Vega is smart, imaginative and resourceful, physically fit, accomplished with weapons and, in this instalment, creative with a set of bolt-cutters. And she is skilled in both psychological and physical persuasion (yes, there is violence). Cap has different talents and intuitively follows Vega’s lead. Cap’s inside knowledge of policing complements Vega’s strong sense of justice.

The minor characters are certainly more than one-dimensional, while the dialogue offers plenty of humour, some of it deliciously dark. The story does contain a few minor spoilers for the first book, but these little tastes are likely to tempt readers to indulge in Two Girls Down, if they have not already done so. Fans will be pleased that the ending does not preclude further hook-ups between this pair, so it is to be hoped that Luna has many more shots of Vega and Caplan in her arsenal. Brilliant crime fiction!
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.

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Author Information

Louisa Luna

Louisa Luna is the author of Two Girls Down (featuring Vega and Cap) as well as Brave New Girl and Crooked. She was born and raised in San Francisco and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and daughter.

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More Recommendations

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more thrillers...

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