The FBI is being blackmailed–if millions of dollars in money demands are not met, murders will take place. With no leads in the case, and the possibility of FBI agents being involved in the crime, the organization turns to ex-agent, current bricklayer, Steve Vail, setting the stage for non-stop action and suspense in Noah Boyd’s debut novel The Bricklayer. Vail had been fired from the FBI due to his personal issues with the bureaucracy and understands that, by asking him to be involved in the case, the bureau is allowing him to operate outside of the rules. He agrees to work closely with Deputy Director Kate Bannon and together they follow the many twists and turns in the case, with a bit of romance developing between them. Vail is a tough, no-nonsense, intelligent hero with unique abilities and a sense of humor. Bannon’s character is equally as intelligent and insightful and they work well together. The plot is action-packed and offers insights into working in a bureaucracy such as the FBI. The Bricklayer is an exciting and tension-filled first novel by Boyd–I am sure we will read more about the adventures of the character Steve Vail in future novels.

Slow Fire tells the story of Will Magowan, a former narcotics officer who was fired after becoming addicted to heroin during his deep undercover activities. After spending time in rehab and with no other job prospects, he accepts the position of police chief in a remote area of Northern California, in a town that appears on the surface to be idyllic. After his arrival, he quickly is involved in a murder, recognizes that many of the citizens display the appearance and behavior of meth addiction, and finds evidence of a large meth lab somewhere in the forested area surrounding the town. The community is uncooperative and refuses to help him in his investigations. Magowan is an interesting character, trying to cope with past tragedies, an impending divorce and his desire to rid the community of it’s meth problems. Ken Mercer’s debut novel is fast-paced with a well-drawn, many dimensional main character and an interesting cast of characters–I look forward to more by this author.

Below Zero , “Edgar-finalist Box’s ninth novel to feature Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett, begins with a bombshell: could Pickett’s foster daughter, April, who apparently died six years earlier in a horrific conflagration when overzealous FBI agents confronted a group of dissident survivalists (see 2003’s Winterkill), still be alive? Pickett’s 17-year-old daughter, Sheridan, begins receiving disturbing text messages from someone claiming to be her dead sister, and Pickett’s entire family is forced to relive the tragedy. Even worse, whoever is sending these messages is traveling cross-country with suspected serial killers targeting people whose carbon footprint is too high.” Publisher’s Weekly