Title:	Let Justice Descend
	Author:	Lisa Black
	Published:	October 29, 2019, Kensington
	No. of Pages:	336
	Cover Price:	$26.00 Hardcover, $2.99 Kindle

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Maggie and Jack are called to a murder scene where a powerful politician, Diane Cragin has been murdered by electrocution in book 5 of the Gardiner and Renner series, Let Justice Descend by Lisa Black. The storyline is very apropos for our time, since Diane had been taking bribes for some water projects and even though she well knew that if the project were to go through (and apparently it was a done deal), 20,000 people or more would die because of poison that would be released into the drinking water in Cleveland. It just happened to be a few days before the election, and although Diane was ahead, her opponent was trying to work his magic to beat her. As most people know, almost all politicians are crooked, and Joey Green was just as bad as Diane; he was apparently involved in the same schemes as Diane. Maggie’s forensic processing abilities help the case, and Jack and his partner, are investigating. Then a reporter comes on the scene and gets evidence of the political cover-up. Unfortunately, she is murdered before the story is broken.

The relationship between Maggie and Jack is interesting. Jack has no qualms about murdering criminals who don’t get what they deserve, and Maggie knows, and Jack knows that Maggie knows. Although their relationship isn’t romantic, there is chemistry between the two as they help solve murders in each installment. Black has done a good job of developing her characters, and it is very unique to have a protagonist who is also a murderer. Maggie always suspects that he is involved, and Jack is always very careful so that Maggie won’t think he is involved. The supporting characters are also well-developed, and readers will have no idea who the murderer(s) are until the very end.

As the novel progresses, readers will realize that all of the politicians, EPA people, and political aides are suspect, and Maggie and Jack are sometimes in danger as they investigate. There are twists and turns, and even though the book is fiction, readers will wonder just how true-to-life the scenarios are. This is politics in our modern world, and it will give readers pause and inspire them to look at the political scene in their own cities.

The end is the best, and the novel is worth reading for that alone. Those who follow Jack and Maggie will enjoy this one, especially if they like politics.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.