Hard-headed social worker Stella Hardy will do anything for a friend. Especially when that friend is Detective Phuong Nguyen. Phuong needs help to find a missing witness, Isaac Mortimer, who may be able to clear the name of her fiancé, Detective Bruce Copeland. Bruce is the subject of an Internal Affairs investigation for corrupt conduct in a drug bust. The only problem is that Stella will have to head out on to the streets again, into the seedy world of backstreet drug deals, smart-mouthed teenagers and a bikie gang known as The Corpse Flowers. They are looking for Mortimer as well – and they don’t want him to testify.

But Stella soon finds herself out of her depth and in the middle of something much larger than a simple case of missing evidence from a drug bust. One wrong turn, one misplaced act of trust, one question too many put to the wrong people could see her disappear without a trace. As if that wasn’t bad enough, her partner, emerging artist Peter Brophy, has shut her out of his life while he prepares for the first big commercial show of his new work. His inspiration is dazzling life model Felicity Sparks, who is determined to keep Stella away from the studio and out of Peter’s life. Could things get any worse? Yes, they can.

J M Green writes with an engaging voice and capably teases out the plot points to keep the reader guessing. But she also allows us to make enough connections to think we’re on the path to a solution. By the end, however, we understand that it was always going to be more convoluted than we had expected. This makes it all the more enjoyable to read. Green capably balances the humour, dark moments and surprises, making this story a satisfying reading experience.

Reviewed by David Johnson

Too Easy by J. M. Green