The Dark Circle

The Dark Circle by Robert J. Mrazekash

Jake takes on the task of working in campus security and loses the job after a rash of students take a new designer drug turns the co-eds into crazed lunatics and Jake ends up being accused of assault against a pair of athletes.

Licking his wounds after his job loss, Jake gets put on retainer by Lauren Kennsiton, the editor of the Groton Journal, to help her find a musical prodigy who never came home.

The job is more than Jake bargained and the search for Deborah leads Jake down a dangerous path of drugs, sex trafficking, a corrupt police and a group that calls themselves.... The Knights.

When I got this book, I had no idea it was part of a series but the author did so well with back building from the previous book, that I didn't feel like there were any holes in the story and I didn't miss anything by starting with book 2.

Jake is a real man's man with a heart of gold and with his dog, Bug, they make quite the duo. Bug even goes so far as to invite a stray cat to live with them.
I found the blooming love story between him and Lauren to be very realistic and raw. It didn't overtake the storyline which I am seriously glad for.

I found the premise of the book very intriguing and it kept getting better and better. I am a conspiracy theorist by nature so watching Jake go down the rabbit hole was thrilling. The whole story was brilliantly woven into a spider web of corruption, drugs and sex trafficking and the players were hidden in plain sight! The power connections really breathed life into this book.

If you are a fan of mystery thriller series that packs a punch then this is the series for you!!

4.5 stars!! Thank you netgalley and Crooked Lane books for my free ARC book in exchange for my honest review.