South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
‘Everybody Knows’ spins a tight noir plot through corrupt L.A.
Much has been written — and will be written — about the corrupting forces of power and wealth, whether in business, government or celebrity. Being rich and famous can be a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. And someone has to clean up those messes.
Edgar winner Jordan Harper’s second novel “Everybody Knows” delivers a scorching look at what happens when uber power and uber wealth collide and morals wither, if they even existed. That’s where “black-bag publicists” such as Mae Pruett come in, not just to clean the dirty laundry of L.A.’s elite, but to sanitize despicable actions, taking them to the ultimate pristine state to avoid negative publicity. Just about any hint of bad behavior can be spun away with the right approach.
The secrets that Mae knows about her clients both scare and excite her. Then Mae’s boss, Dan Hennigan, is murdered before he can tell her about a big, potentially dangerous situation he is working on. Mae and her ex, Chris Tamburro, a disgraced former cop, team up to find out what happened.
The case leads them down a rabbit hole where rich predators prey on the innocent. In Mae’s world, so many open secrets exist. “Nobody talks. But everybody whispers,” is her mantra of sorts.
Harper’s dark vision — and it is very dark — imbues “Everybody Knows” with a tight plot that is on fire from the first sentence and believable characters one wants to root for. Mae is in desperate need of redemption as she is in imminent danger of losing her soul, though she doesn’t realize it. Mae isn’t nice, nor is she a good person. Only her rescue dog keeps her grounded. But like Walter White in “Breaking Bad,” Harper’s crisp writing and perceptive view of people, keeps the reader on Mae’s side.
Los Angeles has been the backdrop for myriad mysteries and thrillers, with each author taking a different route through the city. Harper’s noir vision of L.A. sees the city at its worst but with a sense of hope for its future, enhanced by his evocative writing. The various vignettes that comprise the plot are based on snippets of real events.
“Everybody Knows” showcases Harper’s considerable talents.