The Devil’s Banker, by Christopher Reich

I used to love those old Cold War spy thrillers but now that the Cold War is long gone writers seem to have replaced it with the theme of terrorism.  Tom Clancy was rather unsuccessful with his most recent take on it but not so with Reich’s latest.  His previous suspense novels have had a financial slant to them and this one does, too.  Our main character is Adam Chapel, a financial whiz who made a mint on Wall Street, got bored, and is now working on an elite counter terrorism task force called Blood Money.  It’s Adam’s job to comb through international financial records and find terrorists by following the money trail.  Normally, Adam is behind a safe desk but when a half million dollars disappears in Paris and four of his fellow agents are killed in a bomb blast there, Adam goes to Paris himself and takes over the investigation.  With the help of British intelligence agent Sarah Churchill, Adam uncovers a terrorist plot to obtain a small nuclear device no bigger than a couple packs of cigarettes but capable of leveling a city block. What he doesn’t know is that the device is to be detonated at a White House dinner for the new king of Saudi Arabia.  Can he and Sarah find the terrorists in time?  This novel starts slow and takes the time to carefully introduce the characters as it hopscotches around the globe.  Then, Reich does a wonderful job of building suspense—with some terrific plot twists along the way—to a climax that will have you biting your nails.
 

A Cold Heart, by Jonathan Kellerman

Kellerman’s latest Alex Delaware novel finds the psychologist living alone. Robin, his longtime lover, has moved out months ago and taken up with another man.  Alex, himself, has started to stick a toe into the dating pool and has been seeing Allison Gwynn, a fellow psychologist.  Alex does consulting with the LA police and his detective friend, Milo Sturgis, comes to him with a weird case.  Juliet Kipper, a young up and coming artist having her first one woman show in LA, has been found brutally murdered—with no apparent suspect or motive.  Then, Baby Boy Lee, a talented musician making a comeback, is also found murdered.  There are some connections, the most striking being that both victims were generating buzz in the media and their careers were on the rise.  When a third victim is killed with similar traits, Alex and Milo definitely have a serial killer on their hands, but little evidence to help them in their search.  Called in to assist them is the delightful Petra Connor, the single, female police detective introduced in a past Delaware novel, and her new partner, the mysterious and mostly silent Eric Stahl.   I found the mystery/suspense aspect of this novel somewhat less than compelling but after so many books the Delaware series characters are very real and interesting and the enjoyment comes in finding out what happens next in their lives.
 

Stone Cold, by Robert B. Parker

Time once again, readers, for a trip to Paradise.  That’s Paradise, Massachusetts, the seaside town where Jesse Stone is the police chief.  Jesse is the former LA cop, sort of recovering from alcohol abuse, not recovering from being divorced by the lovely Jenn, who has followed him to Paradise.  Our fourth visit to Paradise finds Jesse wrestling with what seems to be a random killing of a man walking his dog.  He has been shot twice by different guns and it looks like two people killed him.  Soon, several more people are killed in the same manner and Jesse has a serial killer or killers on his hands.  Also on his hands is the gang rape of a teenager by three high school students—you’ll like how Jesse sorts that out.  The serial killer(s), however, will strike close to home.  Parker is one of my very favorite authors and his Jesse Stone series is terrific.
 

Private Sector, by Brian Haig

Irreverent (and is he ever!) JAG lawyer Major Sean Drummond is back in this latest in the series by Haig.  The novel starts with Sean being loaned on a temporary basis to a high-powered DC law firm—supposedly to get some experience with corporate law.  Sean is the second JAG officer to be assigned to the firm; he follows Lisa Morrow, who has just finished her rotation.  Before he can get together with Lisa to compare notes, she is brutally murdered in a Pentagon parking lot.  It looks like a robbery gone bad but some aspects of the case don’t add up and Sean isn’t convinced.  And, neither is Lisa’s sister Janet, an experienced Boston assistant district attorney.  Janet and Sean decide to join forces and they’re soon dealing with the murders of two more women, killed in the same manner as Lisa.  There doesn’t seem to be a link among the women but could the murders be related to something Lisa had been working on at the law firm?  Haig writes in an easy-going, witty manner and this is a worthy addition to the Drummond series.
 

Split Second, by David Baldacci

It’s 1996 and Secret Service agent Sean King is working the presidential campaign of longshot third party candidate Clyde Ritter.  During an election appearance at a hotel, Sean is briefly distracted and in that instant, Ritter is shot and killed by a man deeply opposed to Ritter’s campaign.  Sean manages to kill the assassin before anyone else is hurt but his career as a Secret Service agent has just ended in that split second of inattention.  Fast-forward eight years.  Another presidential campaign is under way and young, up and coming Secret Service agent Michelle Maxwell is lead agent for independent candidate John Bruno.   While on a campaign swing, Bruno has stopped at a funeral home to pay his respects to the widow of his former mentor.  He asks to meet with the widow alone, without the Secret Service in the room.  Normally, that’s a no-no but since the room has only one exit and the petite, deeply veiled widow looks harmless, Michelle agrees.  Bad move, Michelle, because the widow isn’t really the widow, the room has a hidden exit, and Bruno has been kidnapped.   Another Secret Service career is toast.  Or, is it?  Michelle has what they used to call moxie and she’s determined to find her kidnapped candidate.  And, who better to help her than fellow disgraced agent, Sean, who’s rather bored with his new career as a lawyer?   There are definitely the makings for a good read here but, for me, it just misses.  I normally love Baldaccci’s novels but this one had a few too many implausible plot lines and vague characters.
 
 
 

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