This is the second book by Jeff Stetson I've read. I've chosen this one as I enjoyed the other book, The Stolen Girls.

This book is an exploration of racial tensions and moral dilemmas in a divided society. The narrative centers on Los Angeles plagued by violence, where a series of racially charged murders forces the community to confront its biases and fears. Stetson’s writing is, at times, thought-provoking, trying to capture the emotional turmoil of the characters. He mostly succeeds in this, but some dialogue seems a bit over the top. He does make the characters’ struggles feel authentic. Stetson weaves themes of justice, retribution, and the quest for understanding together.

The Killing Season is not just a crime story; it's a commentary on human nature and societal flaws. At times, it falls a bit flat, but overall it's filled with tension throughout, while the characters elicit empathy, or disgust, and provoke critical thought.

3,5/5 ⭐️

Oh wow, this was a brilliant read, totally an on rhe edge of your seat thriller. I loved this one which would make an excellent film. A new author which I'm looking out for in the future. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I'm afraid that I didn't find it anywhere near as good as The Stolen Girls. The American setting of violence, racism and sexism was all too much for me. I couldn't get to grips with the relationship between Calvanese & Henderson and the continuing changing of storyline.
Sorry not for me.

Another cracking read by Jeff Stetson! A gripping read that I found very hard to put down once I had started.

An exceptional, well-written crime thriller, laced with racism, murder and humour. A good storyline, which portrays the political side of dealing with racist murders. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Killing Season by Jeff Stetson digs deep into the heart of Los Angeles, a city teetering on the edge of chaos. Through the eyes of LAPD cop Tony Calvanese and his rookie partner Paul Henderson, Stetson weaves a tale of violence, vengeance, and the volatile nature of justice.

The narrative thrusts readers into a Los Angeles suffocating under the heat of racial tension and police brutality.

The city becomes a character in its own right, with each street corner and alleyway echoing the cries of its troubled inhabitants. The killing of an unarmed Black man by police officers sets off a chain of events that sees the city spiral into a vortex of violence, with police officers hunted and executed in what appears to be a series of retaliatory strikes.

Calvanese, a seasoned officer, finds himself grappling with the weight of his badge and the expectations that come with it. His new partner, Henderson, an Ivy League graduate, must navigate the treacherous waters of being a Black man in a predominantly White force. Their partnership is a microcosm of the city’s broader struggles, as they attempt to bridge the chasm of misunderstanding and prejudice that divides them.

Stetson’s prose is sharp and evocative, capturing the grit and grime of the city streets with a realism that is both jarring and immersive. The dialogue crackles with authenticity, and the characters are created with depth.

This novel is a poignant exploration of the human condition, examining the fine line between law and lawlessness, and the even finer line between justice and revenge.

This story provides a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with moments of heart-pounding tension giving way to quiet reflections on the state of society. It is a story that resonates with the current climate, offering no easy answers but plenty of food for thought. Stetson does not shy away from the difficult questions, instead, he presents them in all their complexity, challenging the reader to consider their own beliefs and biases.

In The Killing Season, Jeff Stetson has crafted a novel that is both timely and timeless, a gripping narrative that holds up a mirror to the world we live in. It is a testament to the power of fiction to illuminate the darkest corners of reality.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A must-read for fans of crime thrillers with a conscience, The Killing Season entertains and enlightens. It is a bold statement on the state of American society, and a powerful reminder of the work that still needs to be done. Jeff Stetson has emerged as a voice that demands to be heard, and this novel is his clarion call.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because The Stolen Girls hit every mark I wanted it to.

However this book is trying to do too much. I think it needed to focus in on just two perspectives. The jumping around made it so I never felt settled in the book. This could have been intentional and if so good work! For me it was just too much when none of the characters felt fleshed out.

Such a fabulous book! The story is set in Los Angela, USA. The L.A.P.D. is the scenario where Calvanese and Henderson make a battle during their investigation of a crime. Some of the dialogues are very, very funny. The book deals profoundly with racial issues that are spread at every level of work, social gatherings, and so on. I found myself laughing all by myself at some of the dialogues! It made the book a little easier to keep going nonstop. I recommend the book.

Following the shooting of an innocent black man, white LAPD officers are being killed on the streets. Tensions are running high both in the city and in the LAPD. When Calvanese, a jaded, white officer, close to retirement is partnered with Henderson, a young principled, black officer, sparks fly as they are tasked with finding the shooter. This was a roller coaster of a book which I read long into the night. As well as a cracking good plot, the exploration of institutional racism and the edgy relationship between the two main characters added to the plot. A gritty, enjoyable read - looking forward to catching up with these two again!

This just didn't do it for me. The dialogue felt stilted and unrealistic -- the dialogue between the cops was unintentionally funny. I've never heard anyone talk like those cops. It felt like it was dialogue from 50 years ago during the Civil Rights days. I really didn't feel like finishing this, but I did, and I have to say, I sort of grew into it. The duo's banter was mildly amusing.

Overall, I commend the author taking on a tough issue. It just didn't resonate with me.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.

I enjoyed this book from the first chapter and loved the characters, especially Tony’s Mum, Mrs Calvanese. The book dives into racial tension in LA in the police force and also in the wider community. It made me question things I took for granted and hopefully will contribute to the ongoing debate about prejudices, both from the white community towards the black community but also the other way round. The story revolves around someone targeting and killing white policemen but also highlights the dangers of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I was sad when I finished this book as I felt the relationships were just starting to get deeper - so Jeff Stetson, if you’re reading this, please make this a series so we can continue to find out more about Tony Calvanese and Paul Henderson, LAPD’s finest.

This is the second book I have read by Jeff Stetson and I found I enjoyed this one as much as the previous book. In "The Killing Season" the book centres on race, religion and politics and we look at how Tony Calvenese a white American police officer is treated in comparison to Paul Henderson a thirty year old black rookie. A delicately handled tale that certainly grabs your attention and makes you think and examine the situations they are both placed in. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Very emotional book for me! As a retired police officer, I could relate to this story. Unfortunately.
It's the story of a serial killer preying on white police officers on the Los Angeles Police Department. Well written, suspenseful, scary. I hate to say it, but the author manages to accurately portray the racism in (some) of the police forces of today. The pairing of a veteran white officer with a rookie African American officer, and the interplay between them was fascinating. The opportunity for growth in both officers was explored well. The politics, the jockeying for positions, it all seemed accurate. The ending.....frightening, confusing, and sad. I'm still confused by it. Which is the reason that I am only giving four stars to an otherwise good book.

I personally found this book hard to get into, the storyline was good and I think maybe I was just reading the book at the wrong time. I’ve heard a lot of great reviews so I think this is definitely one to read and make your own opinion on.

This book is about the racial injustice and unrest during the 2020s. While I didn't see much of what happened during that time first hand, it gives a decent summary of it through their examples of black people who were unfairly killed.

With that being said, I thought that Calvanese was extremely immature and over the top racist. Not just him, but the other white cops as well. I don't believe this was an accurate depiction of all the cops in the 2020s. Sure there were some, but every cop in the department being racist and beating up their own fellow cops? I don't believe that. The language in the book also was over the top.

The end of the book was interesting, but I definitely considered not finishing it because of how the characters were seemingly overdramatized. It was an attempt to be a good book on a touchy topic, but in my opinion it missed the mark.

I felt a bit thrown in at the deep end with this book- so many things happening and so many characters to be introduced to in the first few pages that it took a while to get straight who was who, what was happening and how it all tied together.
As a result I found it a bit disjointed to read and struggled to really connect with any of the characters.
Not a bad read but not his best.

The Killing Season is a compelling crime thriller that delves into racial tensions in California as police officers are systematically targeted. Partners Calvanese and Henderson must set aside their differences to track down the perpetrator behind the murders of multiple police officers. Although it took me until around Chapter 16 to fully immerse myself in the book, the engaging plot makes it a worthwhile read for fans of this genre.

Thank you NetGalley, Storm Publishing and of course Jeff Stetson for allowing me to read the ARC of "The Killing Season" in exchange for an honest review.

The psychological thriller is packed with a lot of serious topics, mostly in the foreground are police brutality, especially towards people of colour and racism. The book is happening in Los Angeles, following the story of LAPD officers Calvanese and his new partner, Henderson.

The main plot line follows a case of serial murders on police officers, with all of the victims being white it raises the question whether this is a revenge strike caused by the several cases of police brutality happening towards people of colour. Calvanese and Henderson, white and black of skin colour, are used to show union and used as a sign of harmony towards the public eye, yet it goes without question that the connection and partnership between the two is rocky at best at the start, whether this be because of their skin colour or their different mindsets overall is up to every reader personally to decide. In my opinion, it surely is influenced by everything in bits.

Not only do the officers work together on the case, trying to prevent more murder, they also work on themselves, their partnership on duty as well as off duty.

Jeff Stetson has created something wonderful with this piece, in spite of the sad fact that this book is the reality as it closer could not be. The banter between the partners, the tension and explosion between the different ethnicities among the police itself, as well as outside the station was perfectly written and displayed, even if it is surely a hard pill to swallow.

The question whether crime has a colour ---, well, let us just say, Jeff Stetson finds a beautiful way to answer it.

Suspenful, intriguing, catching. Without a doubt recommend everyone to read this --- especially if you have a view on the world as does Calvanese.

The Killing Season is a superb read!!! The book is set in L.A. where white police officers are being killed after the murder of an unarmed black man. The racial tension in the city is worsening each day and the L.A.P.D need to find out who is behind these killings. Officer Calvanese has been paired up with Henderson who is a newbie and both have very different ways of working but at the end of the day they want to catch the cop killer. This is a story that makes you sit up and take note and one you will think about for a long time after. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

A Phycological Thriller.

The Killing Season by Jeff Stetson is a phycological thriller about the LAPD Police Force in Los Angeles. There is a murder that involves an innocent unarmed black man who is killed by the police but also a little girl is caught up in the gang's crossfire and is also killed. LAPD police officer Tony Calvanese and his new partner a newcomer, rookie police office called Paul Henderson are left wondering why these senseless killings keep happening. But once the public find out there is a ripple effect as the city blame the police for an innocent black man to be once again shot by Selous police officers. Then a white police office is gunned down as he is on petrol which leads the police think it could be in retaliation for the innocent black victim.
Then more officers randomly start to get picked of and pandemonium sets in for both the police, the public and the black and white communities. This causes friction and confrontation soon erupts between the different ethnicity police officers due to the stress they are under especially as they need to catch the killer before another officer is killed. But who is it and is it race related or personal against the police who wear their uniforms with pride to serve the community. Calvanese is a white police officer and Henderson is black and they must find a common ground as the tension thickens between them.
Jeff Stetson has done an excellent job authoring this book. There is plenty of suspense, a great dialogue and the banter between Calvanese and Henderson is excellent and very funny and had me laughing aloud. Police as we all know must release the tension somehow. The Characters are well developed, and the story is very realistic. The author deals with controversial issues and a story that will leave you thinking and discussing the book long after you have put it down. I highly recommend this book-to-book clubs and anyone who loves a great phycological thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.