Image via WikipediaFormer ADA from Boston, Raffi Yessayan has provided 2 In The Hat--another realistic, complicated and exciting thriller for lovers of suspense...I've been calling it a series just because I want it to be! In many ways, it is similar in concept to our favorite Law and Order TV programs, but...more intense and dramatic, in my opinion.
On the cover, it is noted that Robin Moore, author of The French Connection, hails Raffi Yessayan as "the best prosecutor-turned-crime writer to hit the streets since George V. Higgins and Scott Turow." I may not have the experience of reading many former ADA's, but I do know that Yessayan is a strong competitor for Turow--maybe even better...
G-Wheel was scared; he hated to admit it, but he didn't want to die, not this way. He knew he had gotten into the game, selling drugs was easy money; no working at Burger King for him! But once you're into the game, especially when his crew started warring with others, you become a marked man. It seemed so stupid now. He had only one thing he could do, "Our Father..." But he never finished his prayer...
The only link to the gangsta murders that were occurring was each of them had been killed by the same gun. But they couldn't figure out how and why the gun would be passed, especially when there were guys going down from different gangs...
Just as these murders were being investigated, Detective Angel Alves was personally pulled into a bizarre case. He had been out with his kids, watching his little league team perform. As practice ended, he sent them off for one lap up over the hill before going home. And then the children were screaming and running back to the field. Once he knew all were back and together, Alves went to check out what they had seen: A woman, wearing a gown with a beautiful necklace, was leaning against a tree. He realized that she was kept there by black wire; her pose also created by wire.
He was calling it in when he noticed a man and thought it might be involved so he yelled, Police." But this man wouldn't ever hear again. He was standing against a tree, hidden by shrub, but the man was unnaturally rigid, and he wore a tuxedo... Detective Alves had heard of a similar scene--from a long time ago. Was the "Prom Night Killer" back after 10 years?
But the police had extra eyes on them related to the murder of gang members. The Mayor had hired two ex-cons as "Street Saviors." Their job was to work within the community, talking to the youth, helping them to choose a different path than they had done themselves. Luther had met G-Wheeler in prison and when he heard the trouble, he'd gone to see what was going on and saw Wheeler's crew. Now retaliation would begin; Luther had to move quickly to get involved. But the scene he found was of the two white kids who had been killed, not that of G-Wheeler. The gang members were already realizing that the police was paying much more attention to this scene than that of G-Wheeler. Luther talked to Sergeant Figgs, who had at one time been a top homicide investigator, but he had also heard that drinking had become his primary interest. Luther would be busy...he was determined to find out what was happening...it was deja vue for him and it wasn't going to happen again!
I loved both books from new novelist Raffi Yessayan! They're exciting, intricately plotted, fascinating in detail and were clearly written by one who has the professional credentials and was perfectly at ease transitioning to writing about what he knows! As I said for 8 in the Box--I've added both of these books to my personal list of "best books" read in 2010...the first two there, both from the same author...Best recommendation I can make, don't you think?
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G. A. Bixler
