Blood and Fire

British author Brownlee's hard-hitting sequel to his first novel, Bait (2009), follows the activities of a clever assassin sent to Mombasa, Kenya, by the human-trafficking ring whose operations have been damaged by the activities of British ex-cop Jake Moore and Det. Insp. Daniel Jouma. An elderly nun's disappearance and an ex-pat thug's mysterious death preoccupy Jouma. The incompetence and corruption of the people the inspector must work with complicate his investigation. Meanwhile, an unscrupulous construction corporation's efforts to drive away the inhabitants of a nearby village disrupt Jake's job as a fishing boat captain. The story jerks along in James Patterson style through short, brutal chapters, but it does hold interest because of the heroes' determined goodness versus the pure evil of their antagonists. The colorful and dangerous setting also comes through with unusual vividness. (Nov.)