cover image The Hit Man Cometh

The Hit Man Cometh

Robert J. Ray. St. Martin's Press, $18.95 (357pp) ISBN 978-0-312-01442-1

The likable hero of a new series from the author of Bloody Murdock and Murdock for Hire, Branko's kick-off adventure, a more original and substantial story than its title suggests, begins with the shooting of a popular evangelist running a distant second in a pending Senate primary race. The candidate is only slightly injured, but Branko's partner is killed. Was the hit man really intent on murder or merely publicity? Tracking that answer leads Branko into the arms of a recently widowed socialite with a penchant for athletic sex and a connection to a fanatic mercenary who directs an international gun-running operation from a secluded, high-tech fortress in the Santa Ana Mountains. Two more related shoot-outs, one at a popular nightclub and another at the office tower high above the Reverend's Promontory Chapel, occur before the explosive grand finale at the mercenary's well-stocked compound the day before the primary. Along with plenty of action and a satisfying resolution, Ray offers an engaging cast of good guys and bad, from the preacher's fervent wife to a chic lesbian gun-for-hire to the feisty feminist reporter with whom Branko will likely spend more time in future episodes. A lively debut. (February)