The Samaritan

In Besecker's ambitious debut, a young gangster's panicky reaction results in the deaths of three people and sets off a deadly chain reaction of payback that threatens a war among New York's underworld. The deaths of CIA operative Kevin Easter's wife, Karen, and his sister-in-law, Patricia Durante, devastate Easter and make his boss, Jack Slattery, worry about his state of mind. Powerful mob boss Anthony DiFilippo IV tries to contain the situation, but when the people closest to Easter start dying, he realizes he's in a war. When Easter, a Seneca Indian, drops off the grid, he becomes the chief suspect in the murders, and Slattery assigns agent Gray Taylor to find him. Besecker keeps the reader in doubt about the identity of the hunter, while a volatile mix of characters, including homicide cops Katherine Montroy and Matthew Philips, as well as pesky New York Post reporter B.J. Butera, shakes up the action. Besecker's strong plotting makes the surprise ending fitting and an effective prelude to a sequel. (July)