The Negotiator

The eponymous Negotiator, the narrator of this smooth standalone from DuBois (Hard Aground and 10 other Lewis Cole mysteries), has found a lucrative if dangerous living as a middleman in potentially violent negotiations. A lone operator, he occasionally uses the services of Clarence Briggs as “extra firepower if the circumstances demand it.” Clarence accompanies the Negotiator to Chester, Vt., where George and Beth, a seemingly ordinary elderly couple, have a rare painting to sell to a foreign buyer. But just before the buyer is due to arrive at the couple’s house, George pulls out a gun and shoots Clarence dead. The Negotiator, who manages to escape through a window, shares Sam Spade’s attitude about what to do when your partner is killed—get revenge. The mysterious George has lots of clout, and the Negotiator has to make some exceptionally sharp and unexpected deals in his quest for payback. DuBois wraps up his clever tale with a few nifty twists. Readers will hope for a sequel. (Aug.)