Riceburner

This skillful first novel, a thriller,is marked by seemingly effortless plotting, characterization and tone. Harry Dane, industrial-security man in his mid-30s, is invited to dinner by his ex-girlfriend Cheryl, who is ""in high-tech'' in Silicon Valley but is in Chicago for the weekend. They meet at a small Vietnamese restaurant, and Harry is almost killed when the place is rocked by an explosion. The brother of Cheryl's new fiance is killed, however, and Harry is for a time the chief suspect, because he currently works for a mining company that uses high explosives. He's cleared but remains confused by Cheryl's allegations that he was jealous of the dead man, another of her ex-lovers. Investigating further, Harry is soon involved with a shady real estate agent, a hilariously ungrammatical G-man, inscrutable Orientals, lethal punks and the puzzling Cheryl and her violent, boozy boyfriend. Readers may discern the ultimate villain before the ending but Hyer's debut is notable nonetheless. (September 23)