How do you solve a murder when there are 42,000 suspects?
Thatโs the task facing Chicago PI Georgia Davis, hired to hunt down those behind the assassination of Resistance leader Dena Baldwin at a demonstration fourteen months after the 2016 election. The gunman, on a nearby hotel rooftop, dies within minutes of the shooting. As Georgia sifts through Denaโs 42,000 Facebook followers, she discovers that unknown enemies hiding behind fake profiles have infiltrated the group. She finds others who will do whatever it takesโincluding murderโto shield right-wing, wealthy elites. Threats and bruises have never frightened Georgia, but sheโs side-swiped by the sudden reappearance of her mother, who abandoned her when she was a child. Can she survive a family crisis at the same time she pursues killers whose only goal is to protect themselves?
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From Publishers Weekly
Hellmannโs entertaining fifth mystery featuring Chicago PI Georgia Davis (after 2014โs Nobodyโs Child) echoes current events right down to dropping the names of Vladimir Putin, Steve Bannon, John McCain, and even Rachel Maddow. The only real-life public figure to go unnamed is the โmost unpopular president ever.โ Dena Baldwin, the daughter of a powerful and corrupt Washington, D.C., lobbyist, is the founder and charismatic leader of ResistanceUSA. She has organized a massive protest rally in Chicagoโs Grant Park. As she takes the stage to deliver the opening remarks, sheโs shot dead, and the assassin subsequently dies in an explosion. The FBI puts it down to domestic terrorism and determines that the shooter acted alone. Denaโs mother isnโt satisfied with this assessment and asks Georgia to find out the truth behind her daughterโs death. A shrewd investigator, Georgia surrounds herself with top-notch computer techs and police and FBI contacts. The plot unfolds logically, and for readers who watch the nightly news with dismay, the novel offers a satisfying alternate reality.
Review
"HIGH CRIMES is the P.I. novel for our moment, not just because of its backdrop of political tension, but because of the resilient strength of its characters. Georgia Davis is a terrific lead, and Libby Fischer Hellmann calls on her own journalism background to add layers of realism to this all-too plausible plot." Michael Koryta, NYT bestselling author of HOW IT HAPPENED
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"In this ripped from the headlines and rocket-paced thriller, Libby Fischer Hellmann is at the top of her game. You won't stop turning the pages, gripped by every twist and turn. And the tough, smart Georgia Davis is sure to take her place among the top female PIs in crime fiction." Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of UNDER MY SKIN
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"Entertaining...(Georgia is) a shrewd investigator... for readers who watch the nightly news with dismay, the novel offers a satisfying alternate reality." Publishers Weekly
"(A) smart, multi-layered plot which perfectly exemplifiesour modern society ... Fans of all political stripes will enjoy this combinationof intricate family relationships and realistic crime fiction." Library Journal