Irene Hannon’s Labyrinth of Lies is an engaging crime romance novel that brings together two separate investigations each led by former lovers posing undercover. Hanson weaves quite the web presenting us with two crimes, a drug trafficking ring from a Mexican cartel and the disappearance of a student and her boyfriend. Are they connected? It’s clear someone at the school is involved, but who and how?

Police detective Cate Reilly enrolls in the school undercover as a student to solve the missing student mystery. when she discovers her former lover, FBI agent Zelle Sloan, is posing as a teacher to find out who at the school is involved with a drug trafficking operation they’ve discovered operating on school grounds.

The plot thickens when we discover the two former lovers never got over each other and now have to play the role of student and teacher. The plot sets up the story to explore themes of regret, romantic tension, secrets, and suspicion.

The story will keep you engaged. The banter is believable. The tension is well-placed.

Hannon does an excellent job of introducing several subplots that could all be involved in the crimes. The story is multi-layered but not confusing. As we try to untangle the web, Hannon has more surprises.

The story also has threads that explore overcoming addiction, discrimination, and privelege.

This is a riveting crime drama and a great addition to the Triple Threat series.

See my reviews of other Irene Hannon books – Dark Ambitions, Pelican’s Point, and Hope Harbor