Hell Hole
by Chris Grabenstein
St. Martin’s Minotaur, July 2008, $24.95

This latest John Ceepak novel once again features his likable cop sidekick Danny Boyle as narrator. This time Danny runs into a hard-partying group of soldiers home on leave from Iraq and vacationing on the Jersey shore. Soon one of their group, Cpl. Shareef Smith, turns up dead at a roadside rest stop. Local investigators pronounce the soldier’s death a drug-induced suicide, but Danny has his doubts and urges his partner John Ceepak to investigate the case.

Ceepak, known for his cool logic and absolute adherence to the truth, soon finds clues that point not only to murder, but also to the theft of objects from Smith’s car. Still unsure that the two events are even related, Ceepak and Boyle must nonetheless step up the investigation when the obnoxious Sergeant Dale Dixon threatens vigilante justice for his fallen comrade. What they discover eventually pits them against some very powerful people—people who view killing as a necessary evil.

Boyle’s witty sarcasm serves as an effective counterpoint to Ceepak’s often robot-like responses and also humanizes many of the more horrific aspects of the plot. Two minor criminals lend humor to the story, as does part-time cop Samantha Starky. For longtime readers, the introduction of Ceepak’s nasty father and the insight into Ceepak’s character he provides, should be of interest. All in all, smooth writing and an unpredictable plot should please fans of Anthony award-winner Chris Grabenstein.—Mary V. Welk

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