St. Nicholas Salvage & Wrecking

This clever, fast-paced thriller from Haynes (Gun Metal Heart) introduces a decidedly odd crime-fighting couple—Michael Finnigan, a tough former U.S. marshal, and Katalin Fiero Dahar, a lethal ex-spy, who operate an illegal international bounty hunting enterprise based in Cyprus. They’re in hot pursuit of a child trafficking ring working out of the former Serbian province of Kosovo and responsible for abducting Muslim refugee children and selling them to pedophiles and brothels throughout Europe. Against Fiero’s bloodthirsty desire to annihilate the traffickers, Finnigan insists that they deliver justice, not vengeance. Together Finnigan and Fiero and their helpers try to foil a scheme whose tentacles reach into the highest levels of European governments. Haynes effectively interweaves the unusual working relationship between his cop and spook with copious descriptions of military hardware and ops details. Distinctive supporting characters include crooked police, well-connected baddies, and a spunky young reporter who infiltrates a refugee caravan. Readers will look forward to the further adventures of Finnigan and Fiero. Agent: Janet Reid, FinePrint Literary Management. (Mar.)