Sailor

Those expecting the same originality in this fast-moving thriller from Epperson (The Kind One) as in his screenplay for One False Move will be disappointed. Gina Cicala, who testified against her now imprisoned mobster husband, has begun a new life with her 10-year-old son, Luke, in Brady, Okla., under the witness protection program. When a corrupt marshal tips off a hit man to Gina and Luke’s whereabouts, mother and son go on the run after barely escaping the assassin, who cold-bloodedly guns down Gina’s lusty dinner date. Enter the book’s secret-haunted Shane character, known as Gray (aka “the sailor”), who becomes an integral part of their lives after helping them change a flat tire. Fortunately for the fugitives, Gray is a skilled martial artist, which comes in handy when they’re pursued by psychotic killers who take every opportunity to up the body count. Readers should be prepared for gratuitous violence and an ending too neat to be realistic. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Mar.)