C. James Brown's Killing Influence is the second installment in the Earl Town series, but it can be read as a standalone. In this book, private eye Earl Town is hired by Giacomo "Momo" Ragazzi, the godfather of one Italian mafia, to protect his granddaughter, Mona Lisa. Mona Lisa is a famous social media influencer and is part of the Boom Girls - a group of five girls managed by Boom Productions. A few of these five girls have either been killed or assaulted mysteriously and that's the very reason why Momo is deeply worried. As Town investigates another case involving a missing stripper called Unique, he realizes that these two cases might be related after all.

Earl Town is everything I could ever ask for in a detective - curious, daring, and has a sense of humor. This crime thriller is fast-paced and compelling, it's so hard to put down. I would also like to commend the author for being politically correct, using words such as diversity, inclusivity, and follicly-challenged. The book also has good representation and is LGBTQ-friendly. The only thing that seems off is the ending. The last few chapters reveal several things that seem out-of-the-blue. It is also a bit puzzling to see how this thriller somehow turns into a far-fetched comedy in the resolution. Killing Influence is a good read that borders on suspense and comedy. Trigger warnings include drugs, murder, suicide, bullying, blackmailing, and pregnancy.

Boom Productions, a self-described "arms dealer in the platform wars," has lost two of their social media stars to an unknown killer. Another standout star in Boom's talent stable is the granddaughter of the local mafia don who hires the private investigator, Earl Town, to investigate and keep his granddaughter safe or else. Hard enough, but Town gets saddled with a shadow in the don's grandson and a hard-nosed police detective who could prove to be a potential ally or a huge hindrance to his efforts. Another complication comes from an old lawyer friend that ropes him into looking for a dancer who disappeared just before a large court-mandated payout. Two cases, a shadow, a tough detective, and operating in the crazy world of self-absorbed social media starlets, their fanatical parents, rock stars, and gangsters could prove to be his undoing at best and at worst, his death.

In his second Earl Town novel, Killing Influence, C. James Brown continues his winning ways and has confirmed his place as an up-and-coming star in the crime/detective/PI mystery genres. The lead character Town is old-style and his sharp, often sarcastic commentary, tough veneer but sometimes self-deprecating nature makes him an unforgettable actor that will prove to be the key to a successful series. Brown skillfully mixes old-style ex-cop, private investigator in a modern, social media milieu with characters half his age and beyond his comprehension. Verisimilitude is a big part of any story. The author's ability to coerce the reader into a sense of reality while suspending their disbelief is second to none. C. James Brown is clearly knowledgeable in every topic of his story. He knows how to use this knowledge to develop an unforgettable writing style that will fix him firmly in the minds of readers in this genre for years to come.