The Betrayers

A simple traffic stop gone bad propels St. Louis cops Lt. George Hastings and Det. Bobby Cain into a world of trouble they hadn't bargained for in Hunt's fourth novel, an intriguing, unsentimental police procedural. Two police officers are machine-gunned when they pull over a reckless driver. One of them had been working undercover in narcotics. Could this be payback time? Seasoned veteran Hastings and the rest of the force cope with their own reactions to the loss while they investigate the brutal killings. Hunt (Before They Make You Run ) reveals the wear and tear of work in the precinct on family and home life, and his landscape abounds with quirky characters of all stripes; some are great company and others can crack wise and kill at the same time. At the center, Hastings, a divorced and devoted father, struggles to maintain his own version of the straight and narrow with varied results. (Mar.)