At the start of this routine police procedural from British author Campbell (Through the Ruins of Midnight
), Yorkshire Det. Constable Steve Decker lies in critical condition in a hospital after being bludgeoned by an unknown assailant. Decker and his partner, Dave Black (much is made to little purpose of “Black and Decker,” as in the power tool company), were ambushed while searching for a reckless driver at White Cross, a tough council estate. As Decker drifts in and out of consciousness, he tries to piece together the details of the fateful encounter and identify the person who tried to kill him. Despite a final twist, the plot never generates the kind of suspense found in a similarly themed work like the classic noir film D.O.A.
, nor do the characters emerge as more than stock types. Readers interested in gritty portrayals of modern British policing will find Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus novels more satisfying. (Dec.)
