Closing Ranks

Please note this book was previously published as Red Man Down.MEET THE DETECTIVESeasoned thirty-five-year-old Sarah Burke replaced her youthful bloom with burnished fitness and a put-together look that said to her friends, ‘Trust me,’ and to the bad guys, ‘Don’t even think about it.’ Occasionally some fool thought about it anyway, and for those times she wears a Glock nine in a paddle holster on her belt. Thirteen years in the department had fixed her attitude — wary and seldom surprised. She had transferred into Homicide a little over a year ago because she was ready for bigger challenges. More ambitious than ever now that she’s single again, Sarah wants to work with the best people, hone her skills, keep moving up.THE SETTINGTucson, Arizona, eighty miles from the Mexican border, is a city with ancient roots and a panoply of modern problems. Sprawled in a beautiful valley in the Southwest, Tucson struggles with border issues, shrinking water resources, and a booming drug trade, but its prosperity relies on the steady flow of tourists and retirees attracted to its wonderful weather, where, as the locals say, it’s ‘too hot to spit’.THE MYSTERYAn ex-cop.An apparent suicide.Three bizarre deaths.