No Witness

June 1, 2021
Social justice takes center stage when an Oregon lawyer takes a case at the intersection of immigration and investigation. Cal Claxton's law office in Dundee, about 25 miles outside of bustling Portland, is a bread-and-butter practice, working a wide gamut of cases ranging from criminal court to disputes between divorcing pet parents. But Cal's a longtime social justice advocate and pro bono lawyer for those who need him, too, and he definitely has enough work to share when an eager young man shows up at his door looking for a job. Timoteo Fuentes has hustle and business cards and declares that he can't wait to work for Cal. Under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Timoteo is grateful to have opportunities his parents never had as they lived their lives under the radar, and he shares some of his story with Cal. Before Timoteo's work can begin in earnest, however, tragedy strikes: His sister, Olivia, is gunned down while trying to pick him up at work. Now Timoteo needs more than Cal's support as an employer; he needs his investigative skills to figure out who had a motive for killing Olivia. In fact, he could use the help of Cal's latest lady friend, Zoe, a counselor who might be able to support his mother in her grief. Surprised by his own interest in Zoe beyond the case, Cal wonders if he's finally ready to get serious about a woman or if he'll continue to let the ghost of his wife figuratively haunt his love life. Not enough mystery in this installment of an otherwise solid series.

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June 28, 2021
In Easley’s satisfying eighth mystery featuring Oregon attorney Cal Claxton (after 2019’s No Way to Die), Timoteo Fuentes, a bright and energetic young man Cal has taken a liking to, wants to become a lawyer for the right reason—to change society for the better. When Timoteo’s sister, Olivia, is shot dead from ambush, the Fuentes family begs Cal to help with the investigation because they’re uneasy about dealing with the police; Timoteo and Olivia were both relatively safe as Dreamers protected by DACA, but other members of the hardworking family are undocumented and thus in danger of deportation by ICE if they call attention to themselves as witnesses to a crime. Cal must use all his ingenuity to get information from the Latino community, as he learns that a stone-cold cartel hit man is prowling the neighborhood. Meanwhile, the ominous attention of a white supremacist ICE officer and a predatory financier further complicates the case. Easley celebrates a loving family’s resilience and the power of good people working together. He should win new fans with this one.

July 30, 2021
The beautiful girl is murdered. She was shot in the back of the head and the informal investigator, retired LA prosecutor and star of author Easley's Oregon Wine Country Mysteries, Cal Claxton, has one clue: the girl was wearing her brother's hooded jacket. Was the bullet meant for him? This is the beginning of number eight in the Claxton series and it shares the characteristics of the earlier efforts: complex plot, slow pace, loving descriptions of the Oregon landscape--and food--and a grounding in grim economics. The area wineries are maintained by undocumented labor. The workers tend their families and pay their taxes and everybody functioned happily in this gray area. Until a recent administration turned immigration staffers into thugs. Claxton's efforts catche hints of attempts to squeeze protection money out of scared immigrants. When he isn't praising crystalline air and planked salmon. In one episode Claxton comes upon a vital clue but studies it at his leisure, after preparing a scrumptious dinner. Readers should know this is not a thriller but a warm bath of a novel.

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