Fangs Out (Cordell Logan Mystery)
Cordell Logan, the Southern California flight instructor and former black-ops specialist, returns in his second adventure. With his flight school continuing to struggle, Logan happily accepts a freelance investigating gig from Vietnam War hero Hub Walker, whose daughter’s convicted killer, moments before being executed, claimed that the real killer was a prominent defense contractor. Hub doesn’t believe the claim and wants Logan to prove it false. Seems simple enough—more a paid vacation to tony La Jolla than real work—but soon enough Logan finds himself fighting turbulence on all fronts: nobody with knowledge of the case is talking, and someone seems to want him dead. As in Flat Spin (2012), Freed combines an intriguing mystery with some engaging banter from the Spenser-like hero and several exciting flying scenes. The trick, as the series continues, will be to find believable ways to keep incorporating flying into the action. When Logan is in the air, Freed’s series really takes off. Pair this episode with Randy Wayne White’s Night Moves (2013), which also boasts some exciting aerial drama. --Bill Ott