Robert Crais published Demolition Angel in 2000, but it’s one of his books that I missed until now. This is the novel in which he introduced Carol Starkey, a bomb technician for the LAPD. It was before the current story that Starkey was blown up while she was defusing a bomb when LA was hit by a relatively small earthquake. The earthquake produced enough of a jolt to set off the bomb. Carol’s heart actually stopped beating in response to the explosion, but EMT’s were able to get her heart started again and it saved her life. However, she was still badly damaged both physically and emotionally. Her partner had been killed in the explosion and she had a bad case of survivor’s guilt. She immediately began drinking to great excess. She was also addicted to cigarettes, consuming more than three packs per day. She sought therapy but was already on her fourth therapist after about two years of trying.
Meanwhile Carol was back on the job, usually successfully hiding the depression and anxiety with which she struggled. She had become a loner, and she was too damaged physically to consider dating again. She could not tolerate the idea of someone seeing her naked and actually touching her many ugly scars.
Crais described how unique were the people who became bombers and that despite the danger, the bomb techs also became addicted to their jobs. A new master bomber appeared on the scene, and he referred to himself as Mr. Red. He was exceedingly clever and impossible to trace, and then he was responsible for blowing up another one of Carol’s technical mates.
This was an eerie story about eerie people. Starkey was one of Crais’ best protagonists as he described her emotional attempts to deal with her injuries and her longing for a relationship she was too afraid to pursue. The ending to this plot was particularly gripping. This is another great work by Crais and it gets my strongest recommendation.
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