Lost Lad London vol 3 by shima shinya

​Detective Ellis is under pressure to as the lead investigator hints that he is going to bring Al in as the primary suspect in the murder of London's mayor. Ellis has no hard evidence that Al isn't the murderer, but he makes a couple of final moves to help those involved make some moves, some wiser than others. Al's bosses open up to him about being racially profiled by the policy when they were younger, and they offer Al guidance and free food, as well as a shoulder if he needs it. Finally, Al is contacted by his half brother and given and ultimatum.

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Without giving too much away about this murder-mystery, the ending might be a little predictable for fans of the genre if they've consumed a lot of other content in this area, but it was still fairly satisfying because of the way Al and Ellis come to trust one another after all. Personally, I’ve been trying to figure out who is the “Lad” is from the title, and the ending has made me fairly reflective about how it could be either Al or Ellis. Even though the end to the murder-mystery part was slightly predictable, the overall series ending left me very satisfied. This series also doesn't shy away from tackling some heavy topics. Al is targeted and racially profiled by the police, something he discusses with Ellis, and something his framer uses to his advantage to make Al a more perfect murder suspect. Several women on the police force also discuss whether they should continue being detectives since they wil have a harder time advancing without giving up their personal lives because they are women and one of them is of Indian decent. These topics aren't the main focus on the story, but their inclusion makes this story relevant and topical to today's world.

Sara's Rating: 10/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2

Publisher: Yen Press
Publication Date: January 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781975345266 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 10/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Suspense, ​Yen Press