From Publishers Weekly
The author of the Cooper MacLeish mystery series (Fear Will Do It, etc.) introduces a new hard-boiled hero to the gritty streets of Chicago, but neither alienated ex-copper Frank Dooley nor his adventures matches Reaves's previous efforts. Dooley was still on the force when his wife was murdered; when the law failed him he took his vengeance and fled to Mexico. Eight years later, he returns home to find the case against him stale and his brother, Kevin, a lieutenant. But life for his former partner, Roy Ferguson, has gotten thorny: his seven-year-old son drowned, his marriage fell apart and now he's deep in debt to Johnny Spanos, a hungry loan shark who's pressuring him to steal evidence. Dooley convinces Roy to pull a sting on Spanos, but it goes terribly wrong, and Roy gets killed. Tough-guy Dooley decides to pull a sting of his own to get Spanos to confess on pain of death to Roy's murder. Not only does this strain credibility, it's a bit corny. Like the hero of a spaghetti western, gunslinger Dooley rides back into town to square off against its toughest outlaw. And readers will wonder why the bad guy doesn't simply blow Dooley away: if Spanos defeated his previous foes with ease, why does he have such trouble with Dooley? Reaves has his moments with classic noir fights, both verbal and physical, and even a bit of a romance, but his tale takes too long to get started, and wanders off track too often to be suspenseful. (Oct. 14)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
After the man responsible for the rape and murder of his wife was released on a technicality, Frank Dooley quit the Chicago police force, shot the murderer, and left for Mexico. Eight years later, he is back. Trying to put his homecoming into some perspective, Frank visits his family and old friends but does not feel comfortable until his former partner, Roy Ferguson, offers him a place to stay. He discovers that Roy is thousands of dollars in debt to John Spanos, a bookmaker and bagman who wants to move up in the mob. When Spanos asks Roy to remove from the files evidence of a murder case in which Spanos was involved, Roy confesses to his supervisor. But when Spanos kills Roy, Frank's vengeful side is unleashed. Reaves, author of the Cooper MacLeish mystery series, writes with authority about the policeman's life on the streets and the violent world of organized crime. For most collections of hard-boiled crime fiction.
Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
