Juniper Song grew up reading noir fiction, losing herself in the exploits of Philip Marlow when her own life was too much to handle. As an adult, she finds comparing her handling of life experiences to his brings prospective to her sometimes out-of-sync decisions. This is never truer than when her closest friend Luke asks for an especially personal favor. He fears his father, a high-powered attorney, is having an affair with a lovely young Asian girl working at his father's law firm. Song sees it as the perfect chance for her to flex her investigative skills, never anticipating what horrible change of events this will set in motion.

Following the girl home leads to Song being knocked unconscious. When she comes to, Song finds a dead body in her trunk, which then disappears. After she's threatened by a menacing brute, Song becomes even more determined to find out what's going on and how it affects Luke. Never one to back down from doing the right thing, no matter the outcome, Song has a history of facing the truth head-on. But will she be able to handle the consequences of her rash and dangerous actions?

FOLLOW HER HOME, Steph Cha's striking debut, is written with an edgy witticism that captures the noir narrative as it tells a complex, modern murder mystery. Song is a flawed protagonist, easy to relate to as she leads with her heart in everything she does, especially this investigation. Glimpses into her past give credence to the woman she's become and why she acts as she does to situations. I look forward to more great reading from Ms. Cha.