Indirect Objects

Joe Lehrer Mysteries #2

by David Allen Edmonds

Indirect Objects is a clever suburban mystery/thriller. Joe Lehrer dispenses vigilante justice with the ethical center of Harlan Coben’s PI, Myron Bolitar. Lexan Warner’s nightmare-like childhood reminds readers of an amateur sleuth version of the heroine in Melinda Leigh’s Cross Her Heart.

Lehrer and Warner’s lives appear as perfect as suburban Stradford where they teach. He is hailed a hero for bringing justice to a child abuse conspiracy cover up. She has finally found security in a man who loves her. But revenge and the violent opioid crisis overwhelm the community and force them to question who they are, and who they are together.

Corrupt local politicians believe Joe is neither a vigilante hero nor the Avenging Angel. As he struggles to live with his blackmail power, they force him to struggle for his very life. Lexan’s battle is with the drug cartel and within herself; while saving her students, she must decide whether love is worth revealing the dark secrets of her past.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2020

About the author

I've been a teacher all my life, so I guess it's natural that I write about teachers. Now that I think about it, it's natural for me to write because both of my parents were writers.

My first efforts were short stories about the goings-on inside the faculty lounge of a high school. They were easy to write since I spent a lot of my time there. They are fiction, but clearly based on my experiences. Several of these "Faculty Lounge Stories" are archived on my website,
http://www.davidallenedmonds.com

Personal Pronouns started with the same setting I used in the short stories, but morphed into something else as I wrote it. The length of the novel allowed me to flesh out the characters and hopefully give them some depth. The plot begins in school but is not limited to it. That gave me the chance to extend my themes into the broader community. Personal Pronouns is linked to my website and available at www.amazon.com/author/davidallenedmonds

Reviews

[Carole P. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes life puts people in positions that bring out both the worst and best in them. Teacher Joe Lehrer is thrust back into a situation where he must protect the town's younger population. Instead of a corrupt school board, this time Joe must go up against a drug cartel. Fighting fire with fire, he must change the way the world sees him in order to vanquish the enemy. Filled with action and danger, Joe and his love interest, Lexan must fight the demons inside before they can conquer the enemies in their hometown. An action-packed page-turner that delivers a satisfying punch.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Allen Edmonds brings back private investigator Joe Lehrer in the latest addition of his exciting mystery series Indirect Objects! Joe and Lexan are still figuring out what life means together in the wake of the previous case, a process made more complicated by the rise of a drug cartel backed by dangerously powerful people. Now Lehrer must get back on the case, not only to save the youth of the town, but to save his own relationship. Edmonds always mixes a wonderful blend of heart-warming morality with nail-biting suspense! Indirect Objects takes the series to a whole new level, intensifying the danger and deepening the relationships laid down in the first one. This is another satisfying read in an already gripping series, and I can’t wait to strap on my detective hat for the next one!

[Kevin Zimmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery thriller with lots of twists and turns. Interesting character development of joe and lex in the second book of the series. Loved the Bethany beach references at the end- one of my favorite places on earth

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suburban mystery where big world problems abound. The double crossers are double crossed and nothing is quite like it seems. You have to keep flipping those pages to see who makes it out alive!

Love the inclusion of book club questions.

[David Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the back cover:

Joe Lehrer learns the hard way that fighting corruption is painful even if you’re on the side of the angels. To feed his fantasy of wreaking vengeance on the crime boss, he must act like a criminal himself. That’s effective, but doesn’t protect him from the physical and emotional pain which threaten his career, his friends and his love for Lexan Warner.

Lexan faces violence like Joe as she confronts the opioid crisis killing her students and ravaging suburban Stradford. But she also battles inner turmoil; she must face up to the secrets of her troubled past or they will consume her.

This violent culture shatters their relationship. Love will only flourish for Joe and Lexan if they can find a way to fight it together and survive.

[Megan Korponic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed Personal Pronouns. I was deeply entangled in the characters. My reflection was that the thrill of the prostitution ring could have been anything. And after reading Indirect Objects I hold true to all of my assertions about Personal Pronouns.

I was looking forward to following the journey of Joe and Lexan, hoping to find out more about Lexan’s past. I did just that. However, and perhaps this is because of how much I wanted to know about the characters, I personally thought that devoting so much of the book to time without Joe actually took away from the story. Surely, it led Lexan to step up, but I’m not sure I needed that.

I appreciated the premise and the drama, loved unraveling Lexan, and enjoyed the romantic drama between Lexan and Joe. I think that the dialogue and deeper dive into Kim and the drugs was simply a distraction. Upon learning about Lexan’s stepfather I actually wonder if he could have been written into the story more, perhaps in collaboration with the drug concerns? I’m not sure here, and spinning my wheels a bit.

The book was well written and still a joy to read. Well done Herr Edmonds!