The Poison of War- ARC review

Title: The Poison of war (A novella)

Author: Jennifer Leeper

Genre: Thriller/ Mystery

Source: Received from the publisher

# of pages: 130

Expected date of publication: 19^th Nov 2019

“The two bodies lay in plain sight of the shuttered Salt Bingo Casino, though there are no witnesses other than a coyote and its jackrabbit prey. The two bodies lay still until the sun-cracked it is light over the Arizona desert like a sky egg.”

Detective Frank Silva and Detective Arturo Vega are investigating a double murder. The murder took place in the Sonoran Desert near the Tohono O’odham. The police know they were cartel mules. But the question is, who would kill them. With no clue to go on with the police scout the entire desert. They find 2 arrowheads with marking and signs on them. Det. Silva and Vega have to solve these murders while keeping the web of complex emotions and lies at bay.

It’s a short novel but with a powerhouse of a story. The main story is dealing with the murder mystery. But, it has subtle side-lines focussing on human emotions.

Det. Frank Silva is the lead detective and is from Tohono O’odham. So, for him, he needs to back to his own roots to look for the murderer. The way he handles the situation makes him strong, rational and portrayed more humane. Most of the chapters are from his perspective. And other chapters are from Arturo Vega. Det. Silva is more experienced than Vega. That makes him calmer and resourceful. There is a scene where he could have reacted but prefers to keep himself calm.

The central theme of the book is about the cartel affecting the lives of the people of Tohono O’odham. Along with this, the author includes the theme of a complex of human emotions and how it ties everyone.

This novella is like enjoying Netflix’s limited mini-series and they are refreshing and so is the book. It has every single component of a good mystery with amazing depth. Kudos to the author for making a short yet power-packed book. The author has done remarkable research and has a good hold on the theme. I love her writing style. The author has blended two different concepts together. It brought out an awe-inspiring and believable story. The book has a well-developed pool of characters. As a reader, I could understand their motivation and emotions.

The poison of war is a great read and fresh take on regular topics. On a side note, it’s a short book, I recommend this book for a refreshing read.

My rating is 4.5 stars.