Review: Doubleback by Libby Fischer Hellmann

Title: Doubleback
Author: Libby Fischer Hellmann
Publisher: Bleak House Books
ISBN: 978-1-60648-052-6 (hardback)
978-1-60648-053-3 (paperback)
Pages: 344 (ARC)

Doubleback is a thoroughly satisfying stand-alone thriller and the sequel to Easy Innocence which features single-mom and video-producer Ellie Foreman, and introduces her friend—former cop, now licensed PI—Georgia Davis.

In Doubleback, Georgia takes center stage when she’s hired by the husband of Chris Messenger, recently-deceased IT manager of a large Chicago bank who died under suspicious circumstances mere days after their young daughter had been kidnapped—only to be returned, unharmed—three days later. Odd enough circumstances. Then Chris’ boss is found dead.

Following leads means following the bank’s missing $3 million, without much help from the Chicago police or the bank. From Wisconsin to southern Arizona, Georgia does the travel while Ellie sleuths deeper into the money trail locally.

Georgia runs head-on into the bigotry and racism, corruption, poverty, human trafficking, mercenaries and drug cartels that are the southwestern America border towns. She must rely on her cop-instincts, because nothing is as it seems.