Book Review: Shadow Girl by Gerry Schmitt

Shadow Girl
Author: Gerry Schmitt
Series: An Afton Tangler Thriller (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley; Reprint edition (May 1, 2018)

Description: The brutal murder of a business tycoon leaves Afton Tangler and the Twin Cities reeling, but that’s just the beginning of a gruesome crime spree...

Leland Odin made his fortune launching a home shopping network, but his millions can’t save his life. On the list for a transplant, the ailing businessman sees all hope lost when the helicopter carrying his donor heart is shot out of the sky.

Now with two pilots dead and dozens injured, Afton Tangler, family liaison officer for the Minneapolis Police Department, is drawn into the case. As she and her partner investigate family members and business associates, whoever wants Leland dead strikes again—and succeeds—in a brazen hospital room attack.

The supposedly squeaky clean millionaire has crossed the wrong person—and she’s not finished exacting her revenge. The case explodes into an international conspiracy of unbridled greed and violence. And as Afton gets closer to unearthing the mastermind behind it, she gets closer to becoming collateral damage...

My Thoughts: The second Afton Tangler mystery has Afton and her police partner near at hand when someone shoots down a medivac helicopter containing a heart for transplant with a missile. After dealing with the chaos of an exploding helicopter over the University of Minnesota campus, they begin trying to find out who didn't want Leland Odin dead. 

Leland has started a major home shopping network and really shouldn't have made anyone angry enough to kill him. But an illegal deal in Thailand has sent a woman looking for revenge. Mom Chao Cherry grew from a missionary's child to child prostitute to head of a major criminal enterprise. Her desire for revenge against the man who stole from her causes many deaths.

I enjoyed reading about Afton who was a police liaison officer who wanted to be a detective. This twice-divorced mother of two young daughters was quick to get involved in this case. Her insights were very helpful even though they put her right in the bullseye for one of Mom Chao Cherry's confederates. 

I enjoyed the Twin Cities setting since it talks about places that are sort of familiar. I even liked that one of the major villains came from my hometown of Duluth.  

This was a fast-paced, enjoyable thriller filled with interesting characters. Gerry Schmitt also writes cozy mysteries under the name of Laura Childs.

Favorite Quote:

"How would I know anything about that?" Sunny cried. Then, "Drugs? Leland wouldn't have anything to do with drugs. Believe me, he was a straight arrow. Just last year he contributed over one hundred thousand dollars to the Republican Party."

I bought this one on January 27, 2018. You can buy your copy here.