Dead Aim

September 23, 2002
Though propelled by a tantalizing premise—the investigation of a peculiar suicide—Perry's latest eventually droops under the weight of flat, unengaging characters and predictable plotting. Robert Mallon, a wealthy land developer, has retired early to the gentle climes of Santa Barbara. While he is gazing at the ocean one morning, a young woman, Catherine Broward, calmly walks into the water and disappears under the surf. Mallon rescues her, takes her home, and over the next several hours, the two develop a bond of sorts. Broward won't tell Mallon why she tried to kill herself, but insists she's now OK. The next day, she is found dead in a local park from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Mallon, crushed, wants to know why. He quickly finds several clues—a failed romance, an old murder—yet the most promising lead takes him far into the hills above town, to a self-defense training school, where Broward had spent a month, at great expense, gearing up for some sort of confrontation. On closer inspection, Mallon discovers that the school teaches clients not only how to ward off attackers but how to engage in an ultimate form of excitement—thrill kills. Perry's 13th novel (after the Edgar-winning
The Butcher's Boy; etc.) again proves a showcase for his considerable talents—taut prose, finely crafted scenes, solid research. Yet his initially promising plot winds up following the most commonly traveled grooves, concluding with Mallon, hardly a skilled warrior, taking on half a dozen armed, battle-trained killers. It is equally disappointing when, along the way, Perry either kills off or writes out several characters who seem more intriguing than the bland Mallon. Agent, Robert Lescher. 5-city author tour.

October 1, 2002
A retired land developer and millionaire, Robert Mallon has been living peacefully in Santa Barbara, CA, for a decade. Then one day on the beach, he meets a young woman whom he saves from suicide. A few hours later, however, she shoots herself, and Robert feels that he should have done more to help her. Guilt drives him to hire his old partner and now a private investigator, Lydia Marks, to help him uncover what motivated Catherine Broward. They find that her last year included time spent at a California ranch specializing in teaching rigorous self-defense. A visit to the ranch is soon followed by an attempt on Robert's life, and he finds himself pursued over Southern California. Perry, an Edgar Award winner and creator of the Jane Whitefield mystery series, never writes the same book twice, and here he chooses a theme that most Americans would probably find implausible. However, in his capable hands the plot becomes totally engrossing and believable. The reader remains gripped in unending suspense and a shocking denouement. For all fiction collections. Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., OH

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2002
Millionaire Robert Mallon is taking a casual stroll on the beach in Santa Barbara when he comes across a young woman. He's shocked when he sees her disappear into the ocean and impulsively leaps in to rescue her. She's clearly not happy that he did so, but Mallon attempts to get through to her and talk her out of killing herself. When he leaves her by herself for a little while, she vanishes, and a few days later, he learns she did indeed do herself in. Curious about her past and feeling guilty that he couldn't save her, Mallon calls on his old friend Lydia Marks, a part-time private investigator, to help him find out about the girl's past. They discover that her name is Catherine and learn about her murdered boyfriend, Mark, and her enrollment in a mysterious self-defense school. A trip to the school doesn't yield much information, but suddenly it seems Mallon has enemies--mysterious assassins who are determined to take Mallon out of the picture. The cops don't believe him, and Mallon suddenly isn't sure whom he can trust. The dogged skepticism of the police department and the ease with which the killers commit their crimes (and get away with them) are somewhat implausible, but readers might not care once the suspenseful story hits its stride.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)