In Simon's worthy sequel to his debut thriller, Dirty Sally
(2004), Dan Reles, the only Jewish detective on the Austin, Tex., police force, is on the trail of the would-be assailant of Virginia Key, a black community activist. The assassin succeeded in killing Key's young daughter and critically injuring her even younger son. Soon after Reles starts working on the case, however, he's replaced by the force's only African-American detective, his friend James Torbett, after the department heads decide this would be more appropriate. Reles, meanwhile, is directed to find out what's causing a number of young college students from wealthy families to slip into comas. It isn't long before he sees a connection between the two cases—and that the drug kingpin behind both also has him on a hit list. While Reles is not yet as complete a character as he could be, the well-depicted setting, the fast (if not breakneck) pace, evocative atmosphere and believable dialogue hold the reader's attention throughout. Agent, Nat Sobel. (Aug.)
