“Drop: The Police Annals of Jax, Book II” by J.R. Lightfoot

Drop

J.R. Lightfoot
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN: 979-8246862025
Reviewed by Sandra Cruz for Reader Views (08/2026)

Fort Worth Detective Jax Farris is back in town following the harrowing battle for the Blood Gem, where his friends died protecting the city. Leaving the department after the loss of his mentors and closest friends, Jax joins Special Agent Mary Pey at the FBI, taking a position on a joint task force that hunts down witches, harpies, and other extradimensional monsters in DROP: The Police Annals of Jax, Book II by J.R. Lightfoot. Pey’s loyalties are not always clear, and since the police department funds her project, she needs to consult with her counterpart, Capt. James Murphy.

As Earth’s personal assassin, Jax is tasked with hunting down these monsters, along with other high-ranking targets, but his main priority is to track down Debro. Debro is the new leader of the Society of Light and the woman responsible for the death of Jeff, Jax’s partner and friend. For now, his new assignment is to find Tyler, a berserker running a local nightclub called the Lair, who might know Debro’s location. He’s also a high-ranking member in the Order of Light.

The story intensifies whenMarcus Hemm, the FBI’s top paranormal expert, discovers a portal that could bring in reinforcements to eradicate the Order of the Light once and for all, a technology Debro will stop at nothing to claim. To protect him, he’s moved to a safer location.

Meanwhile, a deadly new drug called “drop” hits the streets, controlled by a ruthless berserker businessman named Zach, plunging the criminal underworld into war. Zach is in it for the money and has no problem killing anyone who stands in his way. Caught between the law and his duty, Jax must decide how far he is willing to go to deliver justice.

As a fan of police procedurals and supernatural fantasy, I was intrigued by the concept of the police battling mythical creatures from another realm that have infiltrated the streets. Set against the dangerous streets of Fort Worth, a city that transforms from cowboy culture by day to a vibrant, shadow-filled urban landscape by night, J.R. Lightfoot has created an intriguing world where dangerous mythical creatures hide in plain sight.

The narrative hooked me immediately. In an early, intense confrontation at the Lair, Jax tracks down Tyler, resulting in a brutal battle against a seven-foot, flesh-craving berserker named Brunk. It’s in these moments that the book establishes its dark tone, when Tyler understands Jax’s true nature: “Just then, Tyler realizes the darkness in Jax’s eyes. It is so much more than eye color. It is death.”

Lightfoot combines the hard-edge atmosphere of a police thriller with the darker elements of urban fantasy. Debro is enjoying her new found power and is looking for others who made the jump to this world. One of them is Master Dix, an ice wizard and elemental with immense power. Debro needs Cara, her most trusted sorceress, to find him. With a location spell, they locate him in Colorado, but he’s an old man and doesn’t look well. Cara helps Dix by bringing him humans so that he can drain the lifeforce out of them, making him a young looking sorcerer again.

Jax is a fascinating protagonist because he isn’t portrayed as a flawless hero. Haunted by loss and driven by a desperate need to protect others, he constantly toes the line between justice and revenge. He possesses extraordinary powers, but they come at a heavy cost. His internal struggle, questioning how much of his humanity he must sacrifice to win, gives the high-octane action a grounded emotional core.

Lightfoot’s battle sequences are action-heavy, intense, and visceral, filled with swordplay, incantations, and brutal violence. The fast-paced narrative is strengthened by haunting, atmospheric writing: “Under the cover of night, Jax moves among the shadows, becoming nothing more than a whisper among the buildings.”

Beyond the action, it explores themes of corruption, shifting loyalties, power, and sacrifice, demonstrating how hidden crime structures rot a city from the inside out.

DROP by J.R. Lightfoot is a crime thriller that’s dark and gritty. It’s willing to push the boundaries of the genre without compromising the story. While it is a sequel, Lightfoot provides enough background context that new readers can jump in without feeling lost, though reading Book I will certainly offer deeper insight into Jax’s origins. Fans of morally complex heroes, supernatural thrillers, and intense action-packed police procedurals should definitely consider picking this one up.

There is no better way for a warrior to die than in battle, and he knows he could not have wished for anything different. He has lived a good life, a meaningful life. This one last act will make him complete.