Silent Knives

Desperately in need of a vacation, detective Jack Williams travels to a remote wilderness not far from Vancouver, Can., for what he hopes will be isolated and relaxing fishing. He promptly discovers the nude body of teenager Naomi Lister trapped in the icy water. Meanwhile, his partner Claire Parker, after an expensive evening of drinking and dining, finds the horribly lacerated body of a young male prostitute in the back of a mini van. The two detectives (who made their debuts in Gough's first novel The Goldfish Bowl ) find that the murders are somehow linked and begin an intense investigation that ultimately reveals some unsavory enterprises run by an array of loathsome characters. Manny Katz, who never leaves home without his knives, is an able but messy hit man, who is himself in danger of being murdered by Junior, the amoral and sadistic toady to Felix Newton, crime czar. It is a race against time to see if Parker and Williams will reach the malefactors before they liquidate each other. Each character puts in a uniquely impressive performance, but the two bright, tough yet vulnerable detectives steal the show. (August)