In Illusion of Truth, the third in the Detective Emily Hunter mystery series, author James L’Etoile continues the story of Emily Hunter as she solves a crime spree that affects her—and someone she loves—directly. One of the things I like best about this series is that Emily, like so many people in the real world, is juggling an aging mother with dementia, a budding romantic relationship, and her emotionally and physically grueling work as a Sacramento, California, police detective.
When lured to a targeted attack on a church, her boyfriend, Brian, sustains multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury. Emily and Brian must rethink their relationship in light of the changes his injuries bring to their world. Wanting to catch those who hurt him, Emily persists in investigating, despite being too close to be objective.
L’Etoile uses years of experience within the criminal justice system to provide verisimilitude to the story. The presumed “bad guy” switches dramatically from moment to moment as Emily relies on instinct to help her piece together clues into a coherent picture. Though the cast of major characters in the three books remains the same, Illusion of Truth can be read as a standalone, but I’ve enjoyed seeing the progression of Emily’s character and the relationships in her life by reading the novels sequentially.
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Illusion of Truth (Oceanview Publishing, January 6, 2026) is available through:
Your local independent bookseller | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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You can read my reviews of other L’Etoile books here:
River of Lies
Face of Greed
Dead Drop
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