Deep into Dusk: A Gabriel McRay Novel

An abduction and assault in the Los Angeles area impels detective Gabriel McRay and on-again, off-again girlfriend Dr. Ming Li to confront personal demons in this vividly drawn follow-up to Stevens's Dark Before Dawn. The questioning of victim Tara Samuels soon brings McRay, at first glance a stereotypical down-at-the-heel dick, into a confrontation with Samuels's haughty, wealthy husband. As fresh crimes emerge, McRay has flashbacks about his childhood rapist. The link between McRay's empathy for Tara and his anguish about the past leads to increasingly aberrant behavior as he works to crack the case. The author's depiction of the tension between McRay's tormented inner life and his commitment to solving the case rings true. Stevens's characterization is solid, and while her plotting could be tighter, the adventures of Gabriel McRay offer plenty of thrills.