Poolshark-turned-PI Kristin Van Dijk, the heroine of Fate’s third hard-boiled 1950s mystery (after 2007’s Baby Shark’s Beaumont Blues
), could give Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer a run for his money in the toughness department. At the behest of a Texas client, Travis Horner, Van Dijk and her partner, Otis Millett, travel to Oklahoma to track down Savannah Smike, Horner’s girlfriend, who’s being held for ransom. The assignment proves trickier than advertised, leaving the detectives doubtful of Horner’s integrity. After the pair successfully reunite Smike with her family, Millett is seriously wounded by gunfire, possibly from one of the thugs involved in Smike’s kidnapping. Vowing revenge, Van Dijk stealthily and skillfully knocks down doors and twists arms in her effort to identify the triggerman as well as uncover the true motive behind all the bloodshed. Van Dijk’s resourcefulness makes her a winning series character who merits a long run. Fans of Sara Paretsky and Robert B. Parker will find much to enjoy. (May)
