Safe

One man’s decision to steal confiscated drug money propels this engrossing crime novel set in L.A. from Gattis (All Involved). When recovering drug addict Ricky “Ghost” Mendoza, a safecracker working with the DEA, gets called in for a job one Sunday, he decides afterward to take some of the recovered money—a stash belonging to drug lord Rooster—and use it to anonymously help friends pay off debts. Ghost’s cancer is back, so this is his last chance at redemption for the sins of his previous life. The certainty of death turns Ghost into a fearless vigilante committed to stealing even more, regardless of the risks. Meanwhile, Rooster orders his second-in-command, Rudolfo “Glasses” Reyes, to retrieve the money and catch the thief. Unknown to his crew, Glasses is working with the DEA, supplying information in return for his family’s safety. Glasses must follow Rooster’s orders without risking his deal with the DEA or revealing his betrayal. Gattis’s refreshingly smart characters doggedly try to do the right thing in this satisfying if unrealistically upbeat tale about the drug world. Agent: Simon Lipskar, Writers House. (Aug.)