cover image The Contractors

The Contractors

Harry Hunsicker. Amazon/Thomas & Mercer, $14.95 trade paper (514p) ISBN 978-1-4778-0872-6

Set in Dallas and sparsely populated West Texas, Hunsicker%E2%80%99s first standalone packs a mean wallop. Captain Sinclair, a retired Dallas policeman, hires Jon Cantrell and his female partner, Piper, to bust a drug warehouse%E2%80%94a rich payday for the two DEA agents, but the prize for Sinclair is the opportunity to eliminate Eva Ramirez, a key witness against a Mexican cartel chief. The plan fails badly when Ramirez escapes in a shootout that leaves Cantrell and Piper minus their cut of the proceeds and scrambling for their lives. The shadowy, violent, legal and extra-legal War on Drugs not only claims many lives but involves endless deceptions on the part of those who fight it. Helping to make this a standout are perfectly drawn characters, nifty surprises, and a frightening portrayal of the federal government%E2%80%99s poorly monitored use and funding of %E2%80%9Ccontractors%E2%80%9D who are heavily armed and extremely dangerous. Hunsicker, author of the Lee Henry Oswald PI series (Crosshairs, etc.), has crafted a truly chilling thriller. Agent: Richard Abate, 3 Arts Entertainment. (Feb.)