Corrupted Souls by Lynn-Steven Johanson is a page-turning police procedural novel that takes readers on a nail-biting journey full of murder and mystery. We begin by meeting Chicago Detective Joe Erikson, who is fighting for a chance to return to duty after a traumatic case. With a new psychiatrist’s approval, he re-joins the force alongside his old partner, Sam Renaldo. Not missing a beat, they begin investigating the high-profile hate-crime murder of 24-year-old Jewish graduate student Daniel Silverman, who was found on the shore of Lake Michigan with a swastika carved into his back.

As it turns out, this initial murder was only the beginning of a fast-paced and unpredictable expedition that would lead to uncovering a dangerous and corrupt conspiracy linked to organized crime led by Vincent Scalise. First, we meet the Fielding family, owners of a large interstate freight company where Daniel Silverman was interning. Next, the detectives unravel an odd array of potential suspects, including neo-Nazi white supremacists tied to the company and members of the Fielding family themselves. This case takes every ounce of Erickson’s skills and intuition to solve, but not before several more murders, risky love affairs, and uncovering unthinkable family betrayals that almost get him killed.

This was one of the best police procedurals novels that I’ve read. It was easy to keep track of the different characters and their roles in the crime and investigation, yet it was nearly impossible to predict what would happen next. As a reader, I couldn’t help but root for Joe as he fought through old traumatic events to move forward with his life and continue the career he was so passionate about. There was even a little love story that’s deftly inserted into the story with his supportive girlfriend, Destiny.

Corrupted Souls is a riveting crime thriller novel that will take readers through an intense homicide investigation. This page-turning mystery will have readers guessing till the end.

Pages: 224 | ASIN : B09TRVW7MX