A girl found dead in an empty lot, beaten with an eye gouged out... Lieutenant Mendoza feels like there must be a connection between this victim and another young woman found dead halfway across town. But just what is the link between them? In this early police procedural and first outing in the long-running Lt. Mendoza series, we find a colorful neighborhood of lived-in characters, shadowy secrets and a gritty realism that makes the book feel contemporary and fresh. (Summary by Ben Tucker)