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To Know Good and Evil: Frank Adams Detective Series #2

By: Daniel V. Meier Jr.
Publisher: BQB Publishing
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
ISBN: 979-8886330502
Reviewed by: Lily Andrews
Review Date: June 9, 2025

Daniel V. Meier, Jr.’s To Know Good and Evil is a sharp, engaging mystery set in the sweltering backroads of North Carolina. With the feel of a Southern noir, it follows retired NTSB investigator Frank Adams, who’s pulled back to his college hometown to investigate the suspicious crash of a small plane that killed his old chemistry professor. The tale is founded on a shocking twist and what begins as a favor to a friend soon turns into something deeper, full of danger, buried secrets, and big questions about morality, science, and the power of truth.

The story kicks off when Frank gets a call from an old college acquaintance, Ted Grant, who believes that the recent death of their former professor, Dr. Lanmore, wasn’t an accident. The plane crash that killed him also took out part of a corporate hog farm—an eerie, gruesome detail that sets the tone. Frank travels back to the small town of Scottsville to poke around, but what he uncovers is more than he expected. There’s palpable tension with the sheriff, a loud sense of weird behavior from the locals, and hints that Lanmore may have been working on something very important and possibly dangerous. As Frank begins to dig deeper, he starts to piece together a complex puzzle involving sabotage and corporate interests but is shocked to encounter people who’d rather keep the past buried.

With a steady pace in each chapter, we follow Frank as he visits the wreckage, interviews a nervous young mechanic, and inspects the damaged parts himself. We see the investigation quickly shift to a more thorough analysis of power, motivation, and secrecy, uncovering information that unexpectedly confirms his long-held concerns. He is a remarkably grounded protagonist, who is also outstandingly intelligent, and resolutely motivated by duty, memory, and a strong sense of justice throughout the narrative. Ted, his friend, brings a touch of dry humor and philosophical musing, making their interactions fun and believable.

This story is easy to follow and reads like a detective story with a scientific twist. While the chapters are well-paced and build smoothly on each other, the author's writing style is smooth and deeply engaging, with just enough sensory detail to make the readers feel as if they are part of the protagonist's endeavor.

Well depicted themes of truth, memory, and the blurred line between good and evil are woven throughout as pointed out by the title itself. What does it mean to act morally in a world full of corruption and compromise? The protagonist's journey is partly external, solving a mystery and also internal, revisiting a past he thought he’d left behind. The author's prose is smart but accessible, never bogged down in jargon or unnecessary description which makes this read one of the best flowing available in the genre.

Quill says: To Know Good and Evil by David V. Meier Jr. is a thoughtful, suspenseful read that balances mystery, character, and ideas. It’s a perfect pick for readers who enjoy mysteries that not only stimulate the mind with intelligent plotting and moral complexity, but also resonate emotionally through richly drawn characters and heartfelt themes.

For more information about To Know Good and Evil, please visit the author's website at: danielmeierauthor.com/