Profit and Sheen

When two vigilante-style murders are committed on his police beat, Sheen Vicedomini resigns from the New Orleans force rather than face investigation. He has difficulty adapting to his new civilian lifestyle and, lured by the promise of quick wealth, he works briefly for Profit, his girlfriend Andrea's cocaine dealer. He and Andrea unwittingly become the patsies of Profit in a plan to cheat his connection Moses; Sheen loses part of his hand in a shooting and Andrea is killed in an apparent hit-and-run accident. Determined to avenge Andrea's death, Sheen immerses himself in the drug world in order to find Profit, who he believes is responsible for the murder. Sheen also requests access to police files from Avila, an old buddy who owes him a favor. Through a bizarre series of events, Sheen begins to trust Profit and question Avila's integrity. Eventually he finds Andrea's murderer while at the same time he helps to bust a large cocaine network and uncover police corruption. Colbert's first novel is complicated and authentically gritty. His quick-paced story grabs the reader's attention and sustains interest through the twists and turns of the unpredictable plot. (September 11)