"People can be trusted to lie. They lie in the bedroom, the boardroom, and the courtroom. The biggest lies are told the loudest. The worst ones are the ones they whisper to themselves." (Page 9)
In this intense sequel to his book "Private Heat" author Robert E. Bailey brings back Art Hardin and pushes him to the literal edge of losing it all. It begins when he is hired by Scott Lambert, a wealthy businessman about to take his company public on the back of some cutting edge technology, to find a certain person named Anne Jones. He knew her in college and was attracted to her and because of one thing or the other, he lost track of her. Hardin agrees with the provisions that Mr. Lambert does not get her address and that once found she has to make the first contact.
Mr. Lambert agrees and then before he leaves their meeting, tells Art that the operative working undercover for Art's wife, Wendy, who runs an industrial security business, hasn't made contact in a week. Art agrees to pass on the message to his wife and begins the search for Anne Jones. Before long he finds the reclusive artist locked behind the gates in a nearby wealthy mansion almost as if she is the prisoner of a wealthy patron.
Having found her, he thinks the case is solved but it is actually just the beginning of a rapidly escalating nightmare. Through as series of increasingly violent events, he is attacked professionally and personally again and again to the point that his marriage is threatened. He has become a target and should he accept the FBI's plan which might be the only way out, he just might die anyway. However, death might be preferable.
This is one of those rare cases where the second book from an author is even better than the first. With the complexity of plot, it reminds me very favorably of an early Robert Ludlum where reality is nothing more than smoke and mirrors and the main character is a pawn in everyone else's game. Just when the situation is under control, or at least appears to be, the situation changes and violently morphs into something else.
Having laid the groundwork in the first novel, this book also serves to bring more attention to the secondary characters in Art's life. Most notably his wife Wendy and his teenage sons, Danny and Ben. Not only does this case threaten the family's professional livelihood, it threatens their marriage. Having a husband arrested for some of the things Art is accused of, would make any wife question what she knows to be true about her husband and her marriage. The dynamic that flows between Wendy and her husband severs as a major secondary storyline in this novel and something I am sure will be pursued in the future.
The same small criticism of the first book holds here as well regarding names and keeping track of the players. It should be noted that this book is significantly more complicated than the first, which was fairly complicated, which makes the naming issue more critical. Still, the criticism is minor and should not deter potential readers, especially with a third book planned to be out in the spring.
The news of another book in the series is very good news as Art and his secondary characters are fast becoming old friends. That is a somewhat risky proposition, as they seem to be leading very violent lives lately with little sleep. But, in the long run, it's worth it.
Book Facts:
Dying Embers (An Art Hardin Mystery)
By Robert Bailey
M. Evans and Company, Inc.
2003
ISBN # 0-87131-997-7
Hardback
$21.95 US
Kevin R. Tipple © 2004, 2011
For a complete list of FFB reviews and particiapants as well as lots of good stuff, please see Patti Abbott's blog at: http://pattinase.blogspot.com/
Barry returns next Friday for FFB and that should be good.
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