At the start of Ripley's often funny, occasionally suspenseful second Vegas caper to feature Cole Springer (after 2001's Springer's Gambit
), the former Secret Service agent agrees to track down a friend's son, who's missing and feared dead, though he hasn't been back to Vegas for years. In fact, Springer was banned from ever returning by the gangster whose Cadillac he stole simply in order to drive into the fountain at Caesar's Palace. Springer soon leaves lasting impressions on a parade of not particularly bright mugs and street hustlers, some hired muscle, a would-be PI and a beautiful detective on the local police force, Tara St. John. The author's working knowledge of the ins and outs of Vegas lends color and considerable interest to the story, while the assorted characters he depicts all come across as slightly over-the-top, yet, within the context, completely believable. The Elmore Leonardesque dialogue adds to the snappy pace. (Aug.)
