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.