The Searcher

The stranger to a community in need of salvation, bereft of his identity and most of his memories, is a familiar trope, and Toyne (the Sanctus trilogy) doesn’t make his take on it memorable. A tall albino, who comes to believe his name is Solomon Creed, may be the sole survivor of a plane crash outside Redemption, Ariz., which is soon threatened by the fire caused by the crash. Meanwhile, a corrupt ex-cop, Mulcahy, has come to town at the direction of a sadistic Mexican drug lord, Papa Tío. Mulcahy hopes to save his father’s life by cooperating with the man holding him hostage. And Solomon is convinced that he’s meant to help Holly Coronado, the attractive widow of the new sheriff, who just died in a road accident. There’s little imaginative about how the story lines relate to each other or the perils the characters encounter. Excerpts from the memoir of “King” Cassidy, the founder of Redemption, only slow things down in this predictable thriller. Agent: Alice Saunders, LAW Agency. (Oct.)