In this short story, Det. Del Castigliano is the new guy on Seattle PD’s homicide squad. Needing a change of scenery after the breakup of a long term relationship, Del moved from Wisconsin to Seattle to begin anew. Del is partnered with Moss Gunderson, one of the department’s best and most popular detectives. Their first case together involves two unidentified bodies fished out of Lake Union. Moss generously lets Del take the lead in the investigation. Del wants to prove himself and relentlessly works the case from every angle possible. Del discovers the victims were involved in running drugs, but there’s more to the story than a simple drug deal gone bad. Del has stumbled into minefield of corruption that could derail his entire new career.

Dugoni, author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, certainly know how to tell a story. This is a sharply written and intense. It’s easy to root for new guy Del to succeed. But his single-minded determination puts him in the crosshairs. I could easily see this story expanding into a full length novel. If you’re looking for a quick hit of crime fiction, look no further than The Last Line.