James L’Etoile uses his twenty-nine years behind bars as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, and director of California’s state parole system. His novels have been shortlisted or awarded the Lefty, Anthony, Silver Falchion, and the Public Safety Writers Award. River of Lies is his most recent novel. Look for the Illusion of Truth and Sins of the Father, which are coming soon.
You can find out more at www.jamesletoile.com
Thanks, George, for letting me guest post here. I’m more than just a little giddy over the release of River of Lies this month. I know every author loves their most recent book. I’m guilty there, too, for the story and how it came to life.
River of Lies is the second book in the Detective Emily Hunter series, set in Sacramento. It’s the sequel to last year’s Face of Greed. Why Sacramento, you ask? And people do ask because, on the surface, Sacramento doesn’t have the same panache as, say, Paris, New York, or Los Angeles. But what the city has is crime, corruption, and a conspicuous homeless population.
This book dives into all three. I’ve lived in the city and the surrounding burbs for years. From the city’s claim to fame as a serial killer magnet in the 80s to politicians who will say anything to get elected. Through it all, the city’s homeless numbers grew beyond anyone’s expectations. It reached a high point just a year ago when a homeless census documented over 10,000 people living on the street. Thousands of men, women, and children exist in the shadows. More than San Francisco’s unhoused population. What is the response after millions of dollars are thrown at the problem? There are a mere 1,200 shelter beds in the entire county.
Where did the money go? Who gained from the massive spending? It doesn’t appear to have been the homeless population who still gather in encampments throughout the city.
In my prior career, I worked for nearly three decades in the prison/parole/probation environment. While serving in the parole system, I accompanied some of my parole administrators on a tour of Los Angeles’s Skid Row, the largest homeless encampment in the nation. There were dozens of high-risk parolees living in tents and cardboard condos, and supervising that population came with some unique challenges and risks.
High rates of communicable diseases, like hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, and parasitic infections, were rampant in the community. The densely packed tents made spreading any illness the envy of a 1300s plague rat. The parolees living in the camp easily hide among the anonymous faces. Parole Agents making a field visit found their offender had moved from one street corner to another.
Charging an electronic monitor (ankle bracelet) proved problematic when the parolee has no place to plug it in to keep the battery working.
There is a structure there amid the chaos. The larger homeless camps have sentries and a leadership structure of some of the older, streetwise survivors. A loose system of self-government exists in these camps.
That’s the backdrop River of Lies is set within. Detective Emily Hunter investigates a series of deadly arson attacks in the city’s riverside homeless camps. She soon discovers even the homeless have something that somebody wants. An unexpected victim and a most unusual killer lead Emily to the place where crime, corruption, and homelessness intersect.
I hope you have a chance to check out Emily’s latest case.
Contact Information: jamesletoilebooks@gmail.com
You can find your copy of FACE OF GREED at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org, Face in a Book Book Passage
River of Lies: Amazon Barnes and Noble Bookshop.org
Thanks for the guest blog spot, George! Much appreciated!
I’ve known James for years and his writing is always excellent and entertaining. His ability to combine fascinating characters, first rate writing, and important themes (homelessness, the border, etc) is something to be marveled at. If you haven’t read his work, do yourself a favor and pick up this latest book, River of Lies. I promise you that you won’t regret it.
Thanks very much, Michael. I truly appreciate the kind words.
At the end of the first line, I thought, WOW, a criminal; then I went on to race through your posting to laugh at my first-line impression. As a point of common interest, I worked swing and graveyard shifts as a dispatcher for the Sacramento Sheriff’s Dept. in the 70s while I trained racehorses at Cal-Expo during the day. I was on the radio when the serial killer you mentioned struck in, as I recall, Citrus Heights. I was also on the radio when we took what we called the Sacramento Vampire, Richard Chase, down. I had something like 120 units, which included patrol officers, detectives, CSI, helicopters, and Sheriff Lowe, on the air—I was terrified. Radio silence for a dispatcher is excruciating, monitoring your air while in constant contact with SPD and CHP. I’ve never written about that time; it leaves scars, as I’m sure you would understand. The sound of Nine-Paul-One’s voice when he came on the air after discovering Richard Chase’s victim, Teresa Wallin, will never lose its impact even forty-seven years on. The officer took a leave of absence, and I understand he was never able to return to work. I know things about what he found that I’ve never seen in print. It may be out there, I don’t know. Sorry for the trip down memory lane. I would love to chat with you sometime. I also volunteered at the juvenile detention facility located on Highway 50 past Folsom prison, tutoring a young man who couldn’t read. With your extensive bona fides, I will head over to look at your books. Again, thanks for your post. Shelley Riley
We should talk, Shelly. That was an interesting time when Richard Trenton Chase, Roger Kibbe, and the Galegos were out doing their thing. I remember Sheriff Lowe–that man was a presence.
Always a good read. This latest sounds compelling. It’s a deep shame that we haven’t found a solution to the terrible problem of homelessness.
Thank you, Jim, for shedding much needed light on the unhoused crisis in Sacramento. I had no idea it was worse than San Francisco! I hope the powers that be read your book and take to heart how important the situation is and choose to act in a responsible, caring, manner.
A Springville young’un who made a big splash in the mystery field. I’ve enjoyed all of your books and looking forward to this newest one. Write on!
It’s wonderful to be able to write such compelling stories with a history behind bars.
Right! Just doing your job. Congratulations on your success.
Marcia, thank you. The background does give me a little push to get the detail just right.
James, I’ve read one of your books, but it was not River of Lies. Yet this sounds really familiar. Did you develop a shorter work into this book?
Hi Vinnie. I haven’t written a short story with this theme. But Black Label does have a few scenes of homeless camps in San Francisco.
Sound like another great novel enriched by knowledge of the environment.
Thanks and I hope you have a chance to check the series out.
Sounds great, James! Good luck and thanks, George for another wonderful post!
Thanks, Peg! Much appreciated!