Doug Ross @ Journal

Book Review: Robert Crais' Demolition Angel

L.A. Detective Carol Starkey is damaged goods. The former bomb-squad technician is descending into a vortex of alcohol, cigarettes, and guilt; all the result of a bomb that went off -- literally -- in her face. The resulting explosion scarred her severely, killed her partner (who'd protected her at the cost of his own life), and simultaneously ended the most meaningful romantic relationship she'd ever had.

Teetering on edge of a mandatory visit to the Police equivalent of a psych ward, another bomb changes everything. A sinister device discovered in a parking lot takes the life of another of her former partners, bomb-squad tech Bill Roggio. Starkey's expertise is needed because the device had the unique hallmarks of a dreaded serial bomber, known only as "Mr. Red."

When the ATF shows up, Starkey becomes their liaison to the L.A. Police Department. And her exceptional skills at sniffing out clues leads to the first major break in the case: the explosive mixture included a rare compound called RDX, access to which is limited to the U.S. military.

Crais has created a mind-twisting, compelling novel that you can't second-guess. Nothing is as it seems and the masterful plot twists are impossible to predict. Mr. Red is the bomb-squad equivalent of Hannibal Lecter: highly intelligent, completely psychopathic, and deadlier than a rattlesnake. And Starkey is a tough, human heroine trying desperately to veer back onto the road to redemption. But she hits an unexpected pothole when Red shows up: her life will never be the same.