Rating: 3.25🌈
I’m a fan of law enforcement romances and police procedural fiction so Patricia Logan’s FBI Files series seemed just the thing for me.
On the surface, the pairing and theme is intriguing and the author’s background for Special Agent Leo Reeves is one that has the potential to make the series and character.
Prince of L.A. was an interesting read.
The romance was very much an instant attraction, instant love relationship. One that occurs between two men, both FBI agents, in an established team, newly professionally paired up and then almost immediately romantically so.
Agent Leo Reeves, newly arrived from VA , looking for a new start, and is an outstanding profiler. He’s out, handsome , and young. He’s sent asap to a sickening crime scene where he meets his new team, including experienced field agent Max Prince. A man who he connects with on every level.
Logan has created a horrifying, and powerful backstory for Leo’s character. But oddly, it’s, imo, not used as realistically one might think for a law enforcement agent or agency. Perhaps the details and exploration is coming in another book. That backstory includes the fact that Leo’s father was a notorious serial killer.
Leo’s new team is unaware of his background as the son of a notoriously evil serial killer but other sketchy agents there know , publicly taunting Leo in Max’s (and others) presence. Does this make sense? Would a team leader not have had a meeting with Leo to discuss the matter prior to his arrival ? Its procedures such as this that kept me from being totally committed to the story and, relationship.
The investigation into the deaths and criminal “ring” did have some realistic aspects to it, there’s another side that feels just as manufactured, less law, more plot driven, then necessary. There’s several more things that I took note of about the FBI office, team, and investigators that contributed to removing me from the story. I had to check to see when the book was published (2022) so that shouldn’t have made any difference. But there’s overt homophobia/racism displayed towards a fellow agent, loud commentary, etc in a FBI office, agency building, workplace etc, that something that would see them removed/reported to HR. Especially in California. But here, for plot purposes, it’s not only tolerated but shrugged off in a pair of unlikable agents. That is the same knowledgeable pair taunting Leo about his parentage.
Fast, sort of jerky interactions, not a smooth flow, but a definite sense of instant lust/instant love that a reader either gets into or doesn’t. I prefer to see a slower realistic development, where the characters proceed to actually get better acquainted, especially when there’s a complicated investigation in progress. That’s not this one.
Logan has either let the story go the way of “as told to”, an on page investigation with vaguely realistic or unrecognizable protocols, or forgone them altogether.
While I liked some of the things about the Prince of L.A. such as side characters (drag queens, pet bull dog, strong woman agent), there’s an even larger amount of under realized elements (the team, their chemistry and dialogue, the main characters instant live in relationship including jealousy , and quickly resolved investigation that left me feeling unconnected and underwhelmed.
I’m not sure I’ll continue with this series. There’s so many other law enforcement stories to read that it might be a while if I decide to circle back.
FBI Files:
✓ Prince of L.A. #1
◦ Leo On Fire #2
◦ A Thousand Vermilion Stars #3
◦ Life On Mars #4
◦ A Clown Car Full of Sovereigns #5
◦ Stag Queen #6
Buy Link
Prince of L.A. (FBI Files Book 1)
Blurb:
Special Agent Leo Reeves is new to the FBI’s L.A. field office. His career has been on track since the day he joined the bureau. He loves his job as a profiler and being assigned to a new team in one of the busiest offices in the nation will be the opportunity of a lifetime…if he can put the past behind him. The face Leo shows the world is strong, focused, dependable, and capable. The long list of citations in his file only serve to prove how good he is.
If he could only forget he was sired by a monster.
Former Marine Staff Sergeant, Max Prince, leads by example. Whether it means protecting men in battle, working for the US Marshal service, or being the best damn field agent the FBI has ever seen, he brings a special kind of bravery to the job. His teammates depend on his ready smiles, his funny jokes, and know him as the excellent agent he’s proven to be. They never see the man who buried his heart eight years ago.
The last thing he wants is to fall for the new guy.
When a serial killer suddenly starts targeting innocents, both men have trouble pinning down who they’re dealing with. With victimology all over the place, Leo can’t make sense of a profile, and Max simply wants to put the bastard away before he murders anyone else. The case is maddening but worse, the attraction the two men find every time they look at each other, is beginning to get in the way.
• Westburg Publishing Corp. (August 24, 2022)
• Publication date: August 24, 2022
• Print length: 357 pages
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 