The Hold Outs: A Buddy Lock Thriller

At the start of Tucker’s worthy sequel to 2017’s Next of Kin, a fishing boat off Long Island nets the bodies of a man and a woman along with the daily catch. Not trusting the local police, the boat’s captain calls the NYPD in the hope of reaching Det. Buddy Lock, whom he saw recently on CNN. Buddy, who’s on leave while the department looks into his use of a firearm in a previous investigation, is eager to take on what appears to be a straightforward case. However, within hours of becoming involved, Lock is ambushed, and his fiancée, Mei Adams, loses her job and is threatened. Mei and the couple’s 10-year-old ward, Ben Brook, head for a friend’s country house in an attempt to escape the danger, while Lock gets on the trail of a series of interlocking crimes, including fraud, extortion, corruption, and murder. Shifting between Locke’s violent, frenetic adventures and the equally thrilling exploits of Mei and the surprisingly capable Ben, Tucker keeps the tension high. Readers will look forward to Buddy’s next action-packed outing. [em]Agent: Will Roberts, Gernert Co. (Oct.) [/em]