Red Flags

By: Lisa Black

Narrated by: Mia Barron

New York Times best-selling author Lisa Black weaves her own professional expertise in forensic science into the first in a tantalizingly taut new forensic thriller series featuring Dr. Ellie Carr and Dr. Rachael Davies, Washington, DC, forensic scientists untangling a political scandal involving kidnapped children....

Perfect for fans of Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles thrillers and Patricia Cornwall's Kay Scarpetta novels.

When DC crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she's shocked to discover that the child's mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion—until their infant son is taken.

"Every contact leaves a trace." That's the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. Rachael is assistant dean at the prestigious Locard Forensic Institute, named in honor of the French criminologist who inspired the profession. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition.

At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca's son—and others like him—will face an unthinkable fate....

©2022 Lisa Black (P)2022 Recorded Books

Interesting book

I choose this book based on the narrator Mia Barron. The scientific things captured my attention. This was an Audible Plus free book . The author Lisa Black was new to me .
I was pleased to find this book was the beginning of a series.
Im noy starting book 3 .

Great start to a series

I'm normally drawn to books from the detective's perspective so I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly this book got me hooked. I really enjoyed the scientific aspects and how everything came together in the end. As a testament to how great this 1st installment is, I've already finished listening to the other two books in this series and can't wait for more to come out.

Would do a 2nd book

Was well written. Alot of “crazy” characters but they all made sense. A nice simple read

Intricate plot, well told story

This is a story unlike any other I’ve read (heard) in quite some time. The author creates myriad components and characters, weaving together in an almost clinical fashion, leaving no gaps or unanswered questions.
The “reveal” is delivered in parts, versus a single exhaustive explanation of Whodunnit, also something a bit different, and welcome change.
The performance is not to my taste, as the end of every sentence ends in something akin to monotone yet not quite as distracting - not often rising in inflection, mainly level or falling off with a growl. I diminished the effects of the phrasing by speeding playback to 1.10.
Overall, I do recommend.

Love the author-love the reader

Great combination of story and performance. Kept me guessing throughout and provided enough political context to follow the storyline without going too deep to confuse me. Two thumbs up!! Thank you Lisa Black - keep the stories coming!!