Sunrise (A John Bekker Mystery)
This sequel to Sunset (2012), which introduced retired cop John Bekker (he’s a private investigator now), should appeal to fans of hard-boiled crime fiction. Carly Simms, a state prosecutor and one of Bekker’s close friends, is accused of murder. But Simms claims she’s innocent, and the county sheriff believes her, despite the damning physical evidence. Who better to sort out this mess than Bekker, a former Special Crimes investigator? Bekker soon discovers that the victim is one of a handful of murdered men who came out of the same Utah orphanage, but that gets him no closer to the identity of the killer. Bekker is a bit of a familiar character: a tough former cop who’s equally proficient with his wits or his fists. But the author has made Bekker his own man and not a copy of (say) Jack Reacher or Charlie Parker. The first Bekker novel received some glowing praise; this second book should do the same. --David Pitt