Max Holmen is a career thief on the verge of finishing a 10y stint for bank robbery. He has a son from a woman he should have, but never did marry. The son grew up to be an LAPD uniform officer. The night before his release, his son is one of four cops murdered in what seemed to be a retaliation killing. The explanation doesn't sit with Max so he starts digging around himself with the help of the now ex-FBI agent who put him away. Together they piece together clues that lead to police corruption and cover-up.
To me, the main hook here is Crais' ability to present Holmen as a sympathetic and likable character as he deals with his loss while attempting to not slide back into his former life. The boy's mom had said in a letter "he's not like you" and that theme follows the story line. I liked this and will put Crais into the power rotation. I'm leaving for 2 weeks this saturday, so I'll check out another Crais book for the trip. Not as gritty as Price or Pelecanos, but a winner for good crime fiction. If his other books are as good, Crais is definitely worth your time.
East Coast Don
Actually, "The Two Minute Rule"
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