3 out of 4 stars
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Third Chances: A Luca Mystery is Book 4 in the Luca series by Dan Petrosini. This book is a fast-paced serial killer drama with an intriguing plot and a likable main character.
Experienced detective Frank Luca works homicides in South Florida. He has just begun dating his partner, Detective Mary Ann Vargas, and they are trying to achieve an appropriate balance between their work and personal lives. During the heat of summer, a serial killer begins leaving dead bodies in the canals and lakes that dot the inland towns not far from the Gulf of Mexico. Luca and Vargas are under pressure from their bosses, the public, and themselves to resolve the key questions that will stop the murders. Why are these victims targeted? Is the killer one person or a couple? Why are all of the victims connected to the same church? When will the next victim turn up?
I genuinely enjoyed reading Third Chances. It was a quick, clever read, and I finished it in a couple of short sittings. Even though it is part of a series, it is a stand-alone novel, and I wasn’t lost because I have not read the other three previous books. The main characters are easy to connect with. Luca is recovering from cancer, so he’s not on top of his game like he used to be. His chemo-affected brain is keeping him from processing things as quickly as he should, and he is having to get used to Vargas out-thinking him. She is likable and principled, and as a professional, she puts up with some things she doesn’t need to. There is some adult language, but no sexual situations, and relatively little violence considering it’s a story about a serial killer.
The novel could use some editing help. Most of the errors concerned dangling modifiers and sentences that needed to be capitalized. Additionally, there were several random words in a larger font throughout the book, so formatting needs to be addressed, as well.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. As much as I enjoyed it, there are too many editing issues to assign a perfect 4-star rating. I am giving 3 stars instead of 2 because I do recommend it. I flew through the book, not wanting to put it down. I suggest Third Chances to readers who enjoy light mysteries and crime novels of any sort. However, people who are looking for something dark should skip this one, as it focuses on the crimes and crime solving, not on graphic or sadistic scenes.
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Third Chances
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Hope they can eventually fix some of the editing / formatting stuff.
