Rice's fourth thriller (after 2005's Light Before Day
) clumsily mixes the plight of gays in the military with an unlikely murder investigation. John Houck, a former marine sergeant, returns to the States from Iraq, determined to make amends with his commanding officer, Capt. Mike Bowers, who was gravely injured due to John's negligence. But when he tracks Mike down at home in Owensville, Calif., John discovers Mike gruesomely murdered in his bed. John, who had no idea Mike was gay, reluctantly joins forces with Alex Martin, Mike's live-in boyfriend, to bring the killer to justice. After John and Alex learn that local law enforcement played a role in Mike's death, they must go on the run to save their own lives. A subplot involving John's brother's suicide distracts in a subpar effort that lacks the complexity of Rice's earlier novels. 10-city author tour.
(Mar.)
