SIMPLY LIES

4 stars out of 5

If this book is intended (or hoped) to be the start of a new series, it's a solid start that sticks to a proven formula. There's a female former cop with a personal life in something of a turmoil, a potential love interest she can't quite trust, a seasoned ex-cop for a father, a self-centered female "accomplice" and a whodunit chase with the potential of putting her life in danger especially when she doesn't listen to reason (her own or anybody else's). So if you're looking for a gobsmacking thriller with truly unique characters, you won't find it here; but there's still plenty to love and if this does end up with a sequel, or several, yes, I'll be wanting to read them.

At the center of this one is Mickey Gibson, a single parent of two toddlers (more on that later) who works from home tracking down illicit exchanges of big money on behalf of ProEye, a global private investigation agency. She misses the old days of being out in the field, but she's pretty much resigned to a life of kid vomit, patching scraped knees and wiping up errant poo. That's a little easier since her parents live nearby and can pitch in pretty much on demand and she can afford a part-time sitter - both of which doesn't elicit much sympathy from those of us who went through the kid thing without the benefit of help from anybody else. Then, she gets a phone call from a company rep asking her to make an emergency trip to a house to inventory potentially valuable contents. When she does, she makes a find that will change the direction of her life - and not necessarily in a good way.

It's a dead guy, and he's not just dead, but murdered. At this point, Mickey remains true to her profession (more on that later), calling it in to the authorities. Enter Wilson Sullivan, a hunky unmarried (of course) Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent whom she finds intriguing but doesn't trust and who doesn't trust her (also of course). Back home, Mickey learns the female caller wasn't really from the company; but when she calls again to ask Mickey to find the killer, she seems even more evasive.

And that's pretty much when Mickey turns into an investigator who decides to eschew most of her professional ethics and instead follow instructions of a woman whose identity she doesn't even know - even though it could be costly to her career (i.e., the career that supports those two kids she basically lets run the household because, as she frequently notes, she recalls her own behavior as a child and identifies with their behavior that often includes the aforementioned puking). 

Much of the investigation centers on Mickey's online talents of ferreting out well-concealed data, explanations of which were detailed but never fully understood by me (try as I might, I've yet to "get" the Bitcoin concept). The rest of her efforts were forays to meet people involved with the dead guy's past - including some her father knew of - people Mickey is certain are tied to the murder. Overriding the whole thing, however, is determining the identity of the mystery woman who Mickey is allowing to call the shots.

If all that sounds exciting, it is; it would have been more so, to me at least, had I really felt a connect with any of the characters and their actions (well, maybe except for those kids; even grown-ups like me can relate to dumping syrup all over their plates and fingerpainting with it - and if Mom thinks that's okay, well, count me in). Needless to say, there's quite a build-up until the finish, when things are sufficiently resolved and with fodder left over for a next edition, assuming there is one. Count me in on that as well; while this may not have been my favorite book by this author (who has always been, and remains, a favorite), I know many readers will love it. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to get in on the action by way of a pre-release copy.

Simply Lies by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, April 2023); 433 pp.