Yolanda Avila is a former LAPD officer, now private investigator, doing her best to continue her career after leaving the force. But subconscious cues and hints – what she calls the “juju” – still nag at her and disturb her dreams when she sleeps. She chooses to ignore the signs because the last time she followed them, her mother was killed. And it was Yolanda’s fault. That was years ago – but now her loved ones are in danger and the juju won’t leave her alone. As You Look is Veronica Gutierrez’s debut novel that pulls the reader into Yolanda’s life as she struggles with the guilt of her mother’s death and fights the one gift that might help her become a better PI. 

Yolanda could have prevented her mother’s death by catching the guy who caused the car accident that took her life. He was a person of interest in a case she was covering. But instead of following the evidence presented to her, she followed the clues from her dreams – the juju. But she didn’t catch him before he caused the crash that killed her mother. Now she refuses to give in to the juju – despite the anxiety-inducing dreams and physical responses her body gives off from the feeling. It also doesn’t help that her brother Jesse embraces his gift and her wife Sydney encourages her to do the same.

As You Look starts off with the kidnapping of Yolanda’s godson Joey. As a mother of two little boys, some of the chapters from his point of view were a little hard to read (and hard to write, according to Gutierrez). While Yolanda solves the case fairly early into the story, readers realize that there’s more to her journey. Someone connected to the kidnapping is found murdered and, expectedly, Joey’s parents are the suspects. Yolanda is all over the case – however, someone really doesn’t want her closing in. As a result, her wife Sydney continues to find threatening notes warning her off. 

Not taking any chances, Yolanda considers that maybe she can incorporate the juju into her work, instead of ignoring it altogether. She still struggles with the guilt from the last time she listened to the signs, but doesn’t want to lose Sydney either. So the tricky part is learning to pay attention to what doesn’t hold up in court – her gut instincts. 

The City of Los Angeles and surrounding neighborhoods/communities play an important role in the novel. Gutierrez grew up in Boyle Heights, and that’s where her main character resides and works. There’s some suspense but mostly it is a character-focused story in which Yolanda struggles with her past and fights a gift that most might embrace. 

I enjoyed Yolanda but I didn’t connect with the story – and I really don’t think it’s a lack of connection to the character or environment. Gutierrez pulls readers into the first crime – the kidnapping – followed by the mystery of who killed one of the people involved. And only a minor/rarely-mentioned character is a suspect. 

Someone is clearly following and harassing Sydney, but no one stands out as the culprit. When the perpetrator is ultimately revealed, it doesn’t make much sense based on what we learned. Gutierrez could have fleshed out some details a little more or involved fewer secondary characters to shift the focus. Then again, I know she’s planning more stories for Yolanda, and I understand she can’t flesh everything out in the first installment.

Overall, I think this story is important for LGBTQ+ representation, and those who enjoy a crime/suspense novel might want to check it out. It’s a quick read and Yolanda is a cool no-nonsense chick with a great support system. I also look forward to see how Gutierrez grows as an author and how her debut might reflect her writing going forward. 

Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed my Cantina Conversation with Veronica Gutierrez, where we talked about her background in the non-writing world, inspirations for the book and her nonprofit projects. Stay tuned for an upcoming episode of The Nerd Cantina Show podcast for the interview. As You Look comes out on March 22.