Pinnacle Books (Paperback), ISBN 0786016671

Author April Smith introduced protagonist Ana Grey in her 1994 crime novel, North of Montana. Readers who waited patiently for her return won't be disappointed by this new book. This time around, the tough, smart FBI agent with a bit of a chip on her shoulder finds herself dealing with a serial rapist/kidnapper. Working together to solve the case, Grey and local police detective Andrew Berringer realize their love-hate relationship complicates not only their professional lives but also their troubled personal affair.

The relationship between the FBI agent and the police officer reflects the friction between their respective organizations and bureaucratic jockeying for power. The story takes a series of complicated twists and turns involving bad police work and power-hungry FBI agents. Naturally, someone as independent as Agent Grey gets caught up in the middle.

Not only do police politics and FBI procedures get in the way, the characters swept along by circumstance also vie for position. When Agent Grey's young nemesis at the Bureau looks to her superior as a mentor; the older agent sees her as a "snotty upstart." A cop's widow hired by the police department accuses Ana of a crime and an affair. An old friend who supports Special Agent Grey finds his family threatened.

April Smith's familiarity with police procedures and lingo marks her latest novel as truthful, compelling and accomplished. And even when she occasionally strays into the overly-literary ("Everybody's hot to reconstruct the crime scene -- crawl into the bore and ride the spiraling projectile"), somehow it sounds just right. This powerful story, with a surprise or two thrown in, will keep you reading late into the night. The best thing is you won't mind it a bit.

Augusta Scattergood

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