Synopsis
(from the publisher):
Some say that outlaws no longer exist, that the true spirit of the
American West died with the legendary bandits of pulp novels and
bedtime stories. Charlie Hood knows that nothing could be further from
the truth. These days he patrols vast stretches of the new American
West, not on horseback but in his cruiser. The outlaws may not carry
six-shooters, but they’re strapped all the same.
Along the desolate and dusty roads of this new frontier, Hood prefers
to ride alone, and he prefers to ride at night. At night, his
headlights illuminate only the patch of pavement ahead of him: all the
better to hide from the demons -- and the dead outlaws -- receding in
his rearview mirror.
But he doesn’t always get what he wants -- certainly not when
he’s assigned a partner named Terry Laws, a county veteran
who everyone calls “Mr. Wonderful.” And not when
Laws is shot dead in the passenger seat and Hood is left to bear
witness by someone who knew that Mr. Wonderful didn’t always
live up to his nickname. As he sets out to find the gunman, Hood knows
one thing for sure: The West is a state of mind, one where the bad guys
sometimes wear white hats -- and the good guys seek justice in whatever
shade of gray they can find it.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
The
Renegades
A
Charlie Hood Mystery
T.
Jefferson Parker
Dutton
(Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-525-95095-8 (0525950958)
ISBN-13: 978-0-525-95095-0 (9780525950950)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $26.95
— ◊ —
Review:
Los Angeles Deputy Sheriff Charlie Hood searches for those responsible
for killing his partner in The
Renegades,
a sequel to L. A. Outlaws by T. Jefferson Parker.
For six months now, Hood has been working the swing shift in Antelope
Valley, the Siberia of the Sheriff’s Department authority,
but that's just fine with him. There's nothing but trouble for him
downtown. He prefers driving alone through the valley and the desert.
But not tonight. Tonight he's been assigned a partner, one Terry Laws,
a well-liked, much-admired veteran of the department known by everyone
as "Mr. Wonderful". Assisting two men on a routine call for the Housing
Authority, Laws is gunned down in their car with a shot through the
passenger side window. Hood is able to slide out of the
driver’s side, but held down by gun fire. He, too, could have
been killed but wasn’t. Was it fate that saved him? Or did
the shooter, someone wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap with a "D" on
it, and a red, Western-style bandana folded into a triangle over his
face, intentionally miss him? Maybe Mr. Wonderful wasn't so wonderful
after all and had something to hide. Hood is summoned to Internal
Affairs and finds himself looking into the shooting.
Just who was Terry Laws? Know the target, and you'll know the shooter,
or so he is told. And the target, as Hood soon finds out, was hardly a
model cop. Hood learns that Laws' previous partner, Coleman Draper, is
involved in the importation of drugs from Mexico, and suspects Mr.
Wonderful was as well. Since he cannot enter Mexico to hunt down the
lawbreakers, he must be patient until he can apprehend them in
California. And he doesn't have long to wait.
The
Renegades is a beautifully
crafted thriller. Parker infuses his story with rich details of the
setting, visions of the barren desert and the lofty mountains, which
add depth and intensity to the plot. The superbly drawn characters are
intriguing, especially Charlie Hood who, just 29 years old, is far more
complex than his young age would indicate. And the suspenseful plot,
what drives the story forward with its unfolding sequence of
revelations, will capture the reader's imagination and not let go.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Renegades and to Penguin Group for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Renegades? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
L.
A.
Outlaws
Dutton (Hardcover), February 2008
ISBN-10: 0-525-95055-9 (0525950559)
ISBN-13: 978-0-52595-055-4 (9780525950554)
The Renegades
Dutton (Hardcover), February 2009
ISBN-10: 0-525-95095-8 (0525950958)
ISBN-13: 978-0-525-95095-0 (9780525950950)
Omnimystery
keywords for The Renegades
...
Location(s) referenced: Los Angeles, California.
