Whack A Mole: A John Ceepak Mystery
A recovered school ring leads mismatched policemen John Ceepak, a 36-year-old veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and his rookie partner, Danny Boyle, on a search for a serial killer in Grabenstein's flaccid third mystery set in a New Jersey beach resort called Sea Haven. The previous two books in the series,Tilt-a-WhirlandMad Mouse, did a good job developing the relationship between the highly trained, honorable ex-marine and his young partner, who joined the cops mostly to impress girls. About all the two had in a common was a love for Bruce Springsteen, but Boyle was a quick study under Ceepak's tutelage. Now, Ceepak literally digs up a cold case on the beach with his metal detector, which finds a ring and then a charm bracelet, trinkets that belonged to women who were beheaded by a preachy killer Ceepak nicknames Ezekiel. Signs indicate the killer may strike again soon, but the limp dialogue dilutes the suspense. Fans of the first two books will likely be disappointed.(June)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.