Second Story Man

This middling crime novel from Salzberg (Devil in the Hole) pits master thief Francis Hoyt against retired Connecticut chief investigator Charlie Floyd and Miami, Fla., detective Manny Perez. The three share narrative duties. After trying and failing to catch his “white whale” at a rundown West Hollywood motel, Perez, who knows and admires Floyd, asks his help in trapping Hoyt. Perez believes that Hoyt is heading for the Northeast, his home turf, to target the homes of rich people. Hoyt, confident and brazen, makes burglary sound easy. Floyd and Perez use a combination of experience and dedication to uncover clues to Hoyt’s whereabouts. When Hoyt becomes aware he’s being hunted, the action picks up. Salzberg imbues each of his main characters with a distinctive voice, but he fails to build much suspense along the way to the lackluster conclusion. (Mar.)