Out of the Black
Matt Caine is an unemployed widower who makes some bad decisions in this dark caper novel from Rector (Already Gone;The Grove), a rising star in the thriller genre. A sketchy friend convinces Matt there’s easy money (to pay off the loan sharks he borrowed from for his daughter’s medical bills) in kidnapping a rich man’s wife. Unfortunately, the rich man is a dangerous mobster, and things rapidly spin out of control. Soon Matt finds himself depending on friends from a past he thought he’d left behind and considering acts of violence more suited to the marine he once was than the single father he is now. Oh, and his late wife’s parents think they’ll do a better job of raising his daughter than he will so they are contemplating suing for custody. Verdict: Written in a spare, laconic style reminiscent of Elmore Leonard or Robert B. Parker, this fast-moving, bleak thriller driven by the economic realities of modern America will appeal to fans of suspense fiction from the grittier side of the mean streets.