by Robert Crais
Carol Starkey is still trying to put her life back together. Three years ago, a bomb went off in her face, ripping her up and killing Dave "Sugar" Boudreau, her partner (and lover) in the LAPD demolition unit. Angry and alcoholic, fearing sleep because of her bad dreams, Starkey returns to the job—this time as a detective—even as another former colleague gets blown up. Forensic evidence suggests that somebody is targeting bomb-squad technicians; in fact, he may be after Starkey.
This is just the initial tick in Demolition Angel's gripping countdown. Best known for his macho Elvis Cole mysteries, Crais can create engaging, believable women too. In one emotionally charged subplot, the sympathetic Starkey is drawn despite herself into a relationship with a rival investigator. The villain, John Michael Fowles—a stick-figure lunatic—is another matter. But who cares? Crais piles on the plot twists and complications, gathering the separate threads at the end and igniting them like a string of fireworks. (Doubleday $24.95)
Bottom Line: Explosive thriller
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