The Bouncer

One night at Club Rendezvous (“Queens’ finest gentleman’s club, conveniently close to the airport”), the NYPD, a SWAT team, and the Feds roll in as part of a coordinated citywide sweep for anyone with even remote terror connections and arrest several people, including bouncer Joe Brody, the hero of this impressive crime novel from Edgar-finalist Gordon (Mystery Girl). During his temporary detainment in a crowded holding cell, Joe runs across an acquaintance who persuades him to take part in a weapons heist. The job goes wrong, but Joe survives and ends up in a much more complicated situation. Meanwhile, frustrated FBI agent Donna Zamora keeps running across Joe as she tries to move from receiving tips to actual field work. Joe, “a hard-luck kid from Queens whose file read like a roller coaster of comebacks and blown chances,” proves his mettle in the quest to bring down the terrorists. Gordon’s sharply drawn supporting cast adds a nice balance to all the action. Cinematic writing makes this an obvious candidate for graphic novel or film adaptation. Agent: Douglas Stewart, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Aug.)