Introducing Sonny Rush, former LAPD now small-town P.I.

She’s a new PI in a beautiful seaside town. It’s dirtier than it looks — and more dangerous too — in a twisting novel of suspense…

After ten years on the force, LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates with her elderly mother to peaceful Haven, California, to join her godfather’s burgeoning PI business. What crimes could possibly happen in a town nicknamed “Mayberry by the Sea”? Sonny’s first case: find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle last seen sporting a Versace collar. At least scouting out a dognapper gives Sonny a chance to get to know her new neighbors.

Forty-eight hours in town and Figgy’s disappearance entangles Sonny in an unwelcome reunion with her ex, one of Haven’s wealthiest citizens. And when the body of a teenage boy is found along a popular hiking trail, Sonny is drawn into a web of strange beyond anything she ever saw in LA.

Then comes a local’s warning: question everything. Haven hides secrets that could destroy its idyllic facade. Or destroy Sonny first.

This is the first novel in a new mystery series from Rachel Howzell Hall, and it’s a great introduction to both the protagonist and the idyllic-on-the-surface town of Haven. As will surprise no one, there’s plenty of ugliness brewing below the surface of this town… This is a solid start to a new series. I enjoyed it.

Sonny Rush has recently relocated from Los Angeles to the small town of Haven, a picture-perfect, “safe” town. After years as an LAPD officer, Sonny has moved because of some incident in Los Angeles that the readers will only learn about as the story progresses. Connecting with her godfather, and former cop himself, she signs on as Haven’s second member of Poole Investigations. However, after the chaotic, fast-paced life of a police officer in the City of Angels, is there really much to keep a PI occupied in peaceful, idyllic Haven? Turns out: yes, there is.

With her first assignment — find Figgy, the goldendoodle — Sonny is quickly thrown into the politics and gossip of a small town. However, Rush’s cop instincts have her focus split as she follows the case of teenage athlete Xander Monroe’s death; found dead on a running trail, no witnesses, no apparent cause of death, everything Sonny hears and sees pings her spidey-sense. It seems as though the local PD are intent on closing the case as quickly and cleanly as possible — labeling it an accident, maybe drug related, but an outlier and unique instance. But is it? Like all the best PI characters, Sonny boldly sticks her nose into the situation, and takes it upon herself to conduct her own investigation (with far more skill and dedication than the locals).

As she looks into Xander’s death, Sonny gets an accelerated introduction to the simmering (and some boiling-over) tensions within the community. All is not well in Haven, and Rush’s status as an outsider places her in the crosshairs of some of the antagonists trying to bend Haven to their will. This, despite her connection to her uncle, who is an established member of the community.

Like many such towns, there is a tension between the long-time residents, whose parents and grandparents helped establish the town; and the newcomers who are fleeing the big cities for a safe and beautiful new home. The town finds itself in a moment of transition — the wealthiest family in town, the Suttons, have grand plans for their community. They want to re-brand and re-vitalize the main street, offering “higher-end” options to residents and visitors. Here, of course, is the root of some of the tensions that ultimately boil over. Making the situation even more delicate is the fact that Cooper and Sonny had a long affair before she moved to Haven. Coop led Sonny to believe that he was on the road to divorce, but upon her arrival in Haven she sees that this is clearly a lie. This forms a distraction for Rush, and ultimately puts our protagonist on a bit of a collision course.

The author does a great job of showing readers the tension between “progress” and “standing still” — not just in small towns, but society in general. The flattening impact of contemporary business thinking, the erosion of individuality and distinction. Ultimately, this is a thriller that examines the reality that people and places are never what they seem, and that one should never judge based on surface appearances (nor first impressions).

The novel is well-paced, the mystery is revealed and investigated at a good clip. Hall’s writing is excellent throughout, and the characters are well-drawn. Overall, this is exactly what I’d expected from a novel by this author, and only reaffirms that each of her new books is a must-read for me. A great start to a new series, I’m really looking forward to the next book set in Haven. I think this will appeal to most fans of mystery fiction.

Recommended.

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Rachel Howzell Hall’s Fog and Fury is due to be published by Thomas & Mercer in North America and in the UK, on May 13th.

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Review copy received via NetGalley