My Review
Initially I thought this was a straight-forward detective novel. It starts off with a con, Nico, being released from prison. He heads to LA and gets a job as a bar bouncer for the beautiful Izzy. Life looks up, but unfortunately things outside of the pen don’t stay rosy very long. Nico does not get along with Izzy’s boyfriend, Stan, so there’s a rift between the two gents, then a series of murders puts him high on the list of suspects. Detective Harlan Colter is hot on his trail, questioning him, bringing him down to the station, harassing him, and even arresting him without cause.
Just went it doesn’t seem to be possible to get any messier, it does. Nico’s old flame, Veronica, turns up. She leaves her husband and wants to start things back up with our ex-con. Except he’s torn between her and new a new love interest.
Alright, we have the scene set, and now we are ready for a straight-forward detective story that reminds me a bit of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch. Only it’s not. Strange things are afoot in the City of Angels. Colter’s partner, Jim Parelle, seems to have gone completely insane, bums confess to the murders, witnesses are dying, and a supernatural power has joined into the chaos to stir the pot.
For detective story lovers this book has it all and then some! It will have you guessing until the very end.
Vincent Alcaras -- Author 