ACE

Sal Mitchell and Eddie Sandovan are back in Williams’ (Slice, 2013, etc.) third series thriller—this time as the targets of a gang leader’s deadly revenge plot.

When they’re not busy solving crimes in the bustling city of Salento, police detectives Mitchell and Sandovan love to pursue their “true” calling: golf. In the Sonora Desert, one of their regular golfing vacations is rudely interrupted by the sound of gunshots. The detectives intervene in a robbery in progress, killing two perpetrators in self-defense who’d murdered a storekeeper. Returning to Salento, neither detective is too concerned about the incident—that is, until they find out that one of the dead robbers was Timón Pelzón, the younger brother of the notoriously brutal gang leader Falco Pelzón. Upon learning of his brother’s death, Falco begins a cross-country vendetta against the detectives. However, they’re already engrossed in the case of a young woman who calmly walked into a local car dealership and shot a wealthy, successful salesman. Her story seems plausible, given the evidence, but for Mitchell, something just doesn’t add up. This installment notably minimizes the advertising-agency adventures of Mitchell’s girlfriend, Mya Laing; however, since she’s still recovering from her kidnapping in the last novel, readers will likely understand. Instead, Williams offers a well-crafted relationship between Falco and Riker Gazzaro, a “soldier” he brings along on his quest for revenge. The author takes his time revealing each man’s history and motivation, nicely matching the protracted pace of their long car trip. Although both are coldblooded killers, they have a few run-ins on the road in which they do some good, involving a lesbian-run diner and a serial killer. Williams includes a teaser chapter for the next series installment, and readers who’ve been hooked so far should be delighted.

A satisfying buddy-cop thriller with swift pacing and creative character development.