Not Forgotten

Nick Fischer is a former Marine trying to make it as a private investigator. He's hired to protect Javier Sosa, a Mexican businessman in town to meet with Marcus Lopez, local attorney and gubernatorial candidate. When Sosa is shot, Nick can't leave it to the police to solve the crime, because the shooter was aiming for him, too.

He's also trying to solve the mystery of a young woman found floating in the San Antonio River. The police said she drowned, ruled it an accident. Her mother isn't convinced, and hires Nick to take on the case.

I've always heard it said that you should write what you know. George Lee Miller is described as a former cowboy and Navy corpsman who lives in Texas. I lived in Texas for a time, and I'm pretty sure Miller knows Texas. He writes as someone familiar with the environment he's describing and the types of people that inhabit it, and it makes the story that much more believable and enjoyable. Reading this book made me miss Texas and want to move back.

In addition to making me a bit homesick for my second home, Not Forgotten was a compelling story. You've got a guy looking to make his own way in the world, not wanting to be dependent on the schmooze-and-booze world of law and politics that his girlfriend is encouraging him to enter. He's trying to make the connection between an oil baron, his spoiled grandson, a crooked politician, and the dead woman in the river, and he's trying to do it before Javier Sosa's killer takes him out of the picture. There are death threats and betrayal, attempted hits and near misses standing in his way, but Nick Fischer doesn't give up.

I like Nick. He's an interesting protagonist, and Not Forgotten left me wanting to read more of his adventures. (But I hope we don't see Sylvia in the picture any longer. She's not right for him.) This is an excellent start to what I hope is a long-running series, and I look forward to the next installment.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.