Chasing Smoke

Irascible homicide detective Thomas “Skin” Kadash battles cancer while drawn into investigating a string of suicides with a common link in Cameron's thinly plotted second novel. Officially on medical leave from the Portland, Ore., police department, Skin is called to a crime scene by his partner, Det. Susan Mulvaney, when she discovers that the deceased was being treated by Skin's oncologist and wasn't the first of the doctor's patients to kill themselves. A list of five men—including several who have already committed suicide—surfaces, but when the police look into the deaths, there's little to suggest they weren't the last acts of men with terminal illnesses. Unconvinced, Skin launches his own unofficial investigation, while trying to withstand the pain of bladder cancer. Though Cameron (Lost Dog ) uses the moody Northwest locale to his advantage, the uneven plot and thoroughly dislikable protagonist make for a disappointing read. (Dec.)