Deficit Ending

Police officer Deb Ralston of Fort Worth, Tex. ( Death Warmed Over ), near the end of her maternity leave, is present during a bank holdup and watches helplessly as the bandits collect their loot and escape with a teenaged hostage, one of the tellers. Despite Deb's single-minded efforts to track down the thieves, the hostage is killed and more robberies and killings occur. The pressures of home life and the investigation are grim, though relieved by narrator Deb's earthy humor. There's nothing to laugh at, however, when Deb is caught by the murderers she confronts all by herself. Believable or not, Deb's breezily reported exploits make a heady reading adventure. (Mar.)