Charlie 316

Officer Ty Garrett, the protagonist of this enjoyable crime novel from Conway and Zafiro (Some Degree of Murder), is the poster boy for the Spokane, Wash., PD. Late one night, Ty pulls over a reckless driver, who gets out of his car and starts yelling at Ty before reaching for his weapon. Ty unholsters his Glock, but before he can fire, shots come from a nearby house. In the ensuing gun battle, Ty kills the driver and chases away the other shooter. Ty becomes a community hero, until it turns out the driver was shot in the back. That the man’s gun has disappeared also casts suspicion on Ty. As clues pile up regarding what happened at the shooting scene, each one pointing in a different direction, Ty struggles to clear his name. An attack on Ty outside his home and the discovery of heroin inside it further muddy his case. The tension rises when a confrontation leaves a cop dead and Ty goes on the run. The multifarious plot twists compensate for the stock, mostly unlikable supporting characters. The authors, both veterans of the Spokane PD, use realistic police detail to keep the pages turning. (June)