BLIND FEAR

5 stars out of 5

Wrongfully disgraced Finn is back - hiding out in Puerto Rico, still dealing with memory issues (or lack thereof) and trying to find out who smeared his good name before the powers-that-be find him and, at best, stick him in jail for the rest of his life. I first "met" the guy a couple of years ago when I read "Steel Fear" - an excellent book, BTW - and loved him, flaws and all. There was no shortage of action in that one, and it spilled over into this one and doesn't slow down.

Finn's need for anonymity takes a hit early on, when the elderly blind man he's working for's two grandchildren, Pedro and Miranda, go missing. The authorities are convinced they drowned while swimming in treacherous waters, but those who knew them well - including Finn - believe something more sinister happened: the probability that they saw something they shouldn't have. But what?

Sure enough - no spoiler here - the kids are alive; their self-sufficiency and street smarts help keep them alive and readers get to follow their attempts to stay that way, but it's a struggle that's about to get worse with the onslaught of a dangerous hurricane. Meanwhile, Finn has to take chances he's rather not, like venturing into the heart of Puerto Rico where the likelihood he'll be recognized increases exponentially and trusting people he really doesn't trust, to get to the bottom of their disappearance (and, more importantly, get them back home). 

It is, of course, a race to the finish, but who wins I won't say. Terrific book for any season, but if there's a beach calling, consider taking this one along. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me meet Finn once again by way of a pre-release copy. Now bring on the next!

Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann (Bantam, July 3023); 416 pp.