A Blossom of Bright Light

Immigration issues loom large in Chazin’s well-paced second Jimmy Vega mystery, just as they did in the series opener, 2014’s Land of Careful Shadows. Vega’s job as a detective with the Lake Holly, N.Y., police puts him at odds with his girlfriend, Adele Figueroa, a Harvard-educated lawyer and founder of La Casa, the town’s Latino community center, which shields undocumented immigrants. One morning, day laborers discover a dead newborn in the woods behind La Casa. Adele and Vega feel they might have prevented the death if Vega hadn’t pressured Adele not to respond to a call she received from the center the previous evening. Meanwhile, an item of clothing on the body of a teenage girl found in the woods near a strip mall links Vega’s college-age daughter, Joy, to the victim. Vega can’t help investigating, despite his superior’s warning not to become involved. Readers will hope to see a lot more of the fascinating, multidimensional lead characters. Agent: Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management. (Nov.)