The Debt

Fans of Dick Francis and Simon Kernick will relish British author Kray's fiction debut, a cynical, hard-edged suspense novel told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two main characters—London mobster Johnny Frank and Simone Buckley, the daughter-in-law of the man Johnny blames for his long jail sentence. Convicted for the murder of a partner-in-crime two decades earlier, Johnny emerges into the world bent on revenge against Jim Buckley, the man who snitched on him. Taking advantage of the informant's greed, Johnny arranges to be a temporary lodger in his intended victim's household, where his path crosses with the attractive but unhappy Simone. Despite her intelligence, Simone is trapped in a marriage to a faithless rake, whose financial crimes have put an end to her career as an accountant. Razor-sharp writing and excellent pacing elevate this effort beyond the standard vengeance thriller. Kray is the widow of Reggie Kray, who with his twin brother, Ronnie, was a well-known London underworld figure. (Apr.)