Dru Ann, thanks for letting Emily Hunter return to your blog and guest post today.

Emily first appeared in Face of Greed, and she’s returning for the third book in the series, Illusion of Truth. She’s been a fun character to write. She’s smart and a little snarky with—

Emily: Really? You’re gonna go and mansplain this again?

JL: I thought people might want to know how you came to be who you are.

Emily: And just who do you think that is, Writer Boy? I’ve got a bone to pick with you—

JL: I know, I know. You were consumed with your demanding job as a police detective and caring for your mom, Connie, with her advancing Alzheimer’s Disease. You didn’t have time for anything else in your life. You wanted some “personal time” as you called it. And you got what you wanted in Brian Conner.

Emily: Yeah, but you writers are devious creatures. Brian and I have a great relationship, and it’s getting serious, as my mom would call it. We’re thinking about a future, something I never thought possible. It helps that he’s a cop too, and we understand the demands of the job and what it can do to relationships. Thing is. I started feeling guilty about the time I spent with him—building something—taking time away from what I should be doing with mom.

JL: You were able to get your mom into a safe memory care facility. That had to give you a little peace of mind, right?

Emily: I mean, yeah, it does. But you let me think I had a future with Brian and then you go and pull this—

JL: Hey, no spoilers.

Emily: What you did in Illusion of Truth put everything at risk. Brian responds to a reported disturbance and is caught up in a church bombing. He might not survive. And even if he pulls through, will the traumatic brain injury change him? Will he be the same man I wanted to have a future with?

JL: Everyone with a traumatic brain injury responds differently, Emily. You know that. It can cause personality changes, anger, quick temper, memory loss…

Emily: While you have me dealing with Brian, fighting for his life in the hospital, my mom having difficulty adjusting to life in a memory care facility, you throw this investigation at me. Brian was the first officer wounded, but others are targeted, and they all share a common past. Were they part of some cover-up?

JL: The cover-up is always worse than the crime.

Emily: Which makes me wonder if Brian was ever the man I believed him to be? You’re a mean-spirited writer, aren’t you?

JL: On the bright side #NotMyCat and the corgi Plot Hounds make an appearance.

Emily: Well, there is that. I’ve got to run. Duty calls, but I have my eye on you.

ILLUSION OF TRUTH
Series Name: A Detective Emily Hunter Mystery, Book 3
Genre: Police Procedural
Release: January 2026
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Hunter becomes the hunted

Sacramento Detective Emily Hunter is exposed to inhumanity on a daily basis―it’s the unfortunate baggage that comes with police work, and she’s mostly learned how to shoulder the load. But it all turns personal when her fellow cop and boyfriend, Brian Conner, is caught in the blast of a targeted church bombing.

Brian is gravely injured, suffering a traumatic brain injury. But the attacks don’t stop there―soon, more officers come under fire, and Emily searches for a connection. She and her partner, Javier Medina, discover that Brian and the other injured officers share a common past―a past that now has them targeted for payback.

Battling with heartbreak, Emily has to identify who’s responsible for the string of attacks and stop them before there are more casualties. Will Brian ever be the same again? Already grappling with her mother’s progressing Alzheimer’s, Emily can’t bear the thought of losing both of the people she loves most.

Though it feels impossible, Emily must stay focused on finding the criminals who uprooted her life―and making sure that justice is served.

About the author
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, Macavity, and the Public Safety Writers Award. River of Lies and Sins of the Father are his most recent novels. Look for Illusion of Truth in 2026. James also serves as the Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America. You can find out more at www.jamesletoile.com.