In Cavanagh's entertaining second mystery (after 2005's Murderland
), retired Florida cop Mike Garrity signs on to find boy-band teen heartthrob TJ Sommerset, who's gone missing before the start of a hugely publicized tour. TJ has pulled this kind of disappearing act in the past and was found meditating in the desert. But this time, threatening phone calls and thugs in elevators lead Garrity to suspect TJ isn't on an artsy retreat. Meanwhile, Mike's ex-wife arranges for him to host his estranged 15-year-old daughter, Jennifer, for the summer so the two can spend some quality time together before Mike's incapacitated by the brain tumor he's nicknamed Bob. TJ's cousin, who had some serious gambling debts with the wrong people, turns up dead, but the wiseguys still want their money from whomever they can squeeze it out of. When Jennifer is kidnapped, locating TJ becomes a life-or-death imperative. Fans of the classic PI novel will hope to see more of this wonderfully crotchety protagonist—with or without Bob. (Jan.)
