PAYBACK

 5 stars out of 5

Simply not taxing my brain with flashbacks in time and

chapters that switch perspectives of a dozen characters I can't keep straight make this one a winner in my book. For once, I could sit back and enjoy a book from exciting start to exciting finish. On top of that, the characters are quirky but pretty much realistic (well, as much as in any of the cops-and-robbers TV shows that I love), and I'm eager to read about them again.

This is the second in a series, and alas, I did not read the first. That said, I never felt as if I'd missed anything (although I wish I'd read it just because I like this one so much). "Tank" Rizzo is a highly skilled former police officer who was seriously injured on the job and now handles special cases for the department. He's assembled a crew of helpers that includes his former partner, "Pearl" Monroe, who was injured along with Rizzo and now uses a wheelchair. A year or so ago, Rizzo's brother - who worked at an accounting firm that caters to the hoity-toity - died with his wife in an auto accident. Their son, Chris, now lives with Tank; a computer whiz, he's intent on finding evidence to prove his parents' death was not an accident.

Meanwhile, Detective Eddie Kenwood is still on the job, racking up confession after confession that has provided him with one of the highest case resolution stats of anybody in the department. But it's starting to look as if he isn't coming by those confessions honestly; thanks to Pearl, one case, in particular, has caught Tank's eye. Just because he hates dirty cops - and Eddie in particular - Tank agrees to take on the case. 

Almost from the start, it becomes clear that neither case will go down easily; in fact, just heading out the door can prove risky. But thanks to the special talents of Tank and his band of men (and a woman) and their friends - some of whom would make Al Capone's mob look saintly - they keep plodding along right to the end. I love Tank and Pearl, and the interaction among all the characters made the story all the more appealing. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for introducing me to this series by way of a pre-release copy. Now will you please add me to the list to get the next one? Pretty please?

Payback by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Ballentine Books, August 2020); 286 pp.

TIN BADGES

5 stars out of 5

Wow! A good old knock-down, shoot 'em up story with a
really cool lead character (somewhat reminiscent of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser) that doesn't challenge readers with ever-changing character perspectives and time flashbacks or confusing head games. That means assuming the very talented Mr. Carcaterra  keeps writing about retired NYPD cop "Tank" Rizzo, I'll be first in line to read each and every one.

Tank, you see, is a "tin badge" - the term used for retired police officers who are called back by the department to provide extra help. This isn't Rizzo's first such rodeo; he and his former partner Pearl, who suffered a formal career-ending injury that's left him in a wheelchair for life, now have an entire group to work with and a stellar solve rate. Together, they form a rather motley crew that includes a couple of young techies and a beautiful gypsy fortune teller (yes, you read that correctly).

This time, Tank gets the nod following a home invasion that leaves two women nearly dead. Two men are sure bets for doing the deed, but they have alibis that are phony as a two-dollar bill but unshakable. As he gathers his buddies to get started, Tank gets bad news: His long-estranged brother and his wife have been killed in an auto accident, orphaning their teenage son Chris. With no other relatives available, Tank offers the boy living quarters in his Greenwich Village brownstone; reluctantly, the kid - not coincidentally a computer whiz and cops-and-robbers aficionado - agrees to the arrangement.

Angered over the emotional distance between Tank and his late father, Chris takes more liking to other crew members as well as Tank's longtime love, Connie, and her "retired" mobster boss Carmine. Over the years, despite their usually-at-loggerheads occupations, Tank and Carmine have forged an unlikely but very real friendship. For the record, that unusual relationship, plus Tank's love of wine, jazz and other more intellectual pursuits and a strong but marriage-free relationship with a beautiful woman are among the traits he shares with the aforementioned Spenser.

As the investigation moves along, it leads directly in the path of a very nasty mob boss who threatens the lives of Tank and everyone he loves and works with. Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with Carmine; his age and the loss of his beloved wife may have nudged him toward inactivity, but threats to his family quickly revive his sense of honor (even if it is among thieves).

All told, it's a fast-moving, totally engaging plot as well as a study in character development and interaction. In the end, I wanted for nothing except more - which hopefully will come soon. Meantime, my wholehearted thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Tin Badges by Lorenzo Carcaterra (Ballantine Books, August 2019); 286 pp.