The Hell of It All

It’s clear in this gripping second book in Kroll’s noir detective series that retired detective T.J. Peterson’s life is reaching a nadir. He’s become a pariah to former friends. He relies on his past partner throwing scrap cases his way to get by. A recently released convict has targeted him for revenge. His long-absent daughter sends him mysterious phone messages. And a former lover is begging him to help find her daughter. Caught in the midst of it all, Peterson is doing his best just to remain upright. This book effectively builds on events in its predecessor, The Drop Zone, while presenting enough information to permit the novel to stand alone. Yet while Kroll’s tale dips into the dark underbelly of Halifax, Nova Scotia—rife with crack houses, contract killings, and red herrings galore—Kroll’s writing isn’t quite up to snuff. His style is often leaden, and on-the-nose lines such as “He may have been staring at [his wife’s grave], but he was really looking at himself” land with a thud. There’s enough dark wit and intricate plot to make this worth a read, but it lacks the finesse of the hardboiled greats. (Mar.)