Journalist and ex-car thief, Luc Actar has finally decided to settle down and stay out of trouble. So when detectives arrive to inform him of the death of his father, he's hesitant to get involved. But a powerful leader in the mental health industry is pulling the strings and Luc unknowingly steps right into the crosshairs of a deranged killer.
Journalist and ex-car thief, Luc Actar has finally decided to settle down. He’s traded in his life of crime for the honest life he’s always wanted. He’s moved in with his recently-divorced girlfriend, Mattie Hardwin in her large Malibu home overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He’s back at work at the Crime Reporter investigating stories of corruption and abuse by the political and legal authorities of Los Angeles County.
When detectives arrive to inform Luc of the death of his father, Luc is hesitant to get involved. But once he discovers a powerful leader in the mental health industry is pulling the strings in his father’s investigation, Luc is determined to tear him down. As he chases the demons of his past, Luc unknowingly steps right into the crosshairs of a killer determined to keep his own life from falling apart.
This is the second novel in the Luc Actar series.
Professional Reviews
Kirkus Reive
As his past comes back, peeling away the layers of protection he’s constructed to restart his life, investigative reporter Luc Actar becomes ensnared in a web of consequences stemming from malpractice within the mental health system of Los Angeles.
Luc returns for his second starring role in Garcia’s (Falling Angels, 2006, etc.) latest page-turner. Born into poverty and raised by an abusive, alcoholic father, Luc learned early on how to fend for himself on the streets of LA. After several run-ins with the law and a career as a car thief, he blossomed into a star journalist for Crime Reporter, with a specialty in uncovering police corruption in Southern California. Now, he’s living with Mattie Hardwin, ex-wife of his best friend, in her Malibu home, he drives a Porsche of questionable provenance and has determinedly been putting his past behind him. But when the police come to tell him that his estranged father has died, Luc becomes inexorably drawn into the investigation of mental health records stolen by the elder Actar, and he soon finds himself in the center of a string of murders that threaten everyone and everything that’s important to him. Garcia is a skillful novelist, and she makes good use of Luc’s first-person narrative to plumb the depths of the fears and self-deprecation that lie beneath his combative, trouble-prone exterior. Readers get only glimpses into the character development of the large supporting cast—even Mattie, the pivotal motivator in Luc’s life, is a bit of a cipher—but this is Luc’s story, after all, and readers will find themselves hoping he can skirt the edges of what seems like an inevitable decline into an abyss of self-destruction. Some interesting plot twists liven up the story, and the appearance of Chris Actar, a young teenager who may or may not be Luc’s half brother, adds even more complexity to a man still trying to define himself.
An engaging sequel that will leave readers hoping Luc returns yet again.
Blogcritics.org
In this second in the Luc Actar crime fiction novels, Chasing Demons by Melissa M. Garcia, Luc is ready to exchange his life of crime for the legitimacy of honest work. He wants to enjoy the paradise and romance shared with his girlfriend Mattie Hardwin in her large Malibu home, overlooking the ocean. He is anticipating the fulfillment of a life he has always longed for.
Luc is working as journalist for the Crime Reporter newspaper as their top investigative reporter. Luc has uncovered incidents of corruption, cover up, and abuse by political officials, bureaucrats, police officers, and “dirty” cops in Los Angeles County.
When an incident from Luc’s former life of crime threatens to destroy his newly found idyllic life, Luc takes an aggressive stance in defense of his girlfriend Mattie and his own principles to stay out of jail, which ultimately becomes a fight for his life.
Chasing Demons is reminiscent of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. Like Spenser, Luc is working to expose evil and to protect the innocent; however, he is not above stretching the law to accomplish his desired end.
Melissa M. Garcia artfully choreographs her characters with clearly defined dialog and interactions, using smooth transitions, realistic plot conflicts, plot twists, and suspense building action that is packed with surprises right up to the unexpected conclusion.
Garcia’s descriptions of Los Angeles and its environs are accurate. Her writing instills a sensation of uncertainty and sensitivity in her key characters, their emotions, and motivations. Her writing is engaging with amazing insight into human nature, the impact of pride, greed, abuse, and the hopelessness of the homeless.
Chasing Demons by Melissa M. Garcia is filled with nonstop, fast action and suspense that leaves a lingering sense of wanting more. I am looking forward to the next book in the Luc Actar crime series.
US Review of Books
"I wasn't that scrawny kid anymore. At least not from the outside. People didn't see a scared, hungry kid. I wasn't sure what they saw, but they didn't see that."
Garcia returns to the scene of 2006's Falling Angels, in this gritty sequel about reconciling the past and facing the future. Former homeless teen Luc Actar has returned to Los Angeles and is living with Mattie, the recently divorced wife of his best friend. He has a good job as a newspaper crime reporter. Then, mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his estranged father send him back to neighborhoods he had hoped to never re-enter. The introduction of a teenage half-brother brings new intrigue.
Garcia weaves a compelling, action-packed story that believably depicts the give-and-take relationship between crime reporters and cops. The author's knowledge of Los Angeles and the surrounding area lends great geographical authenticity. Garcia skillfully balances the mystery aspects of the story, as Luc seeks a killer with ties to his father, and relational aspects, as Luc and Mattie head a complex, intertwined cast of characters. Careful plotting keeps the characters' interconnections from becoming unwieldy. The plot itself is relatively straightforward: a break-in, a cover-up and related murders. Depth comes in the richness of the characters, especially Luc, who matures as he navigates new and renewed challenges and relationships. Social issues, including homelessness and mental illness, are thoughtfully and sensitively portrayed. Garcia's skill as a writer, in general, is evident in the crisp dialogue and easy flow of the story that clips along at an enjoyable, highly readable pace. While some threads find closure, Garcia ultimately concludes open-ended, clearly poised for another sequel. Memorable writing and storytelling by an accomplished author.
"We walked in on a surreal scene. There are few words, if any, to accurately describe the abject horror..."
What Jeannie and Kevin McDonough saw was a wanted, multi-state serial killer about to take his next victim - their own daughter. W
Prime-Time Crime Time (600 pages) is a collection of 35 fictional crime/detective stories and the work is author Jay Dubya's 43rd published hardcover/paperback book.
"We walked in on a surreal scene. There are few words, if any, to accurately describe the abject horror..."
What Jeannie and Kevin McDonough saw was a wanted, multi-state serial killer about to take his next victim - their own daughter. W
