ONE OF OUR OWN (2020)

 One of Our Own by Jane Haddam
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Recently I have found myself reading and reviewing the latest title in a couple of long running mystery series. In each case, the author was someone I had always meant to read but hadn't. That's what happened when I requested and received the 30th and, as it turns out, final Gregor Demarkian mystery, published posthumously by the author's two sons, Matthew and Gregory DeAndrea. (Readers will be moved by their tribute to their mother at the end of the book.)

FIRST LINE: "Tommy Moradanyan was late."

THE STORY: Suddenly the Armenian neighborhood is shaken by a random murder and another attempt. With the safety of the community threatened, the Philadelphia police once again ask ex-FBI agent Gregor Demarkian to consult. Reluctantly, he agrees. He is still recovering from a gun shot wound that affected him both physically and mentally. Complicating things further, he and his wife have just agreed to foster Javier, an 'unaccompanied' minor.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Philadelphia is my hometown and I am always drawn to books that are set there. A mystery? Even better! And the reward was I enjoyed spending time with these (mostly) kind and thoughtful people. (Even the villains were interesting characters.) Their lives are difficult but that's not what defines them. The author does not ignore the effects of current societal issues such as ICE raids, trafficking, fraud, and unaccompanied child illegal immigration.

Some series benefit from reading in order and I am sure the Demarkian books fall in that category. But I didn't have any trouble following the story. If something wasn't clear, I just kept reading and my question would be answered. From other's comments, the author managed to produce a fitting ending for her character.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED, but consider reading the series in order.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of One of Our Own was provided to me by Minotaur Books/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (November 17, 2020)

ISBN-10: 1250770491

ISBN-13: 978-1250770493

THE AUTHOR: Jane Haddam (1951 - 2019) is an American author of mysteries. Born Orania Papazoglou, she worked as a college professor and magazine editor before publishing her Edgar Award–nominated first novel, Sweet, Savage Death, in 1984. Not a Creature Was Stirring (1990) introduced Haddam’s best-known character, former FBI agent Gregor Demarkian. The series concludes with the 30th entry. 

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