Naked Eye

The Omaha-based private eye of Reynolds's praised series, Nebraska, traces a runaway teenage boy to Minnesota. Persuading the youth to leave his rich seducer, Steve Dimand, and return to his parents, the detective considers the case closed. But attempts on Nebraska's life soon convince him that he has made an implacable enemy, backed by powerful forces. To protect himself and friends, who are endangered by their association with him, Nebraska goes incognito to investigate Dimand's business interests. The trail leads to the man's cousins, co-owners of a company that the detective suspects is a cover for shady dealings. It's a swamp that nearly swallows him whole, raising the reader's hackles with each disclosure of hideous crimes. The only drag on this action-packed story is its wordiness; otherwise it's a solid hit. (June)