NightSun

In the drought-stricken Los Angeles of 2025, the setting for this meandering crime novel from Vining (Among the Living), the streets are clogged with cars, so the police and safety services whiz through the sky in futuristic helicopters. Every cop has a personal bodyguard, and the LAPD has changed its motto from “To Protect and to Serve” to “Always There.” Policeman Nate Cole, a sometimes cynical and lonely guy, just wants to make it through the day without seeing yet more dead bodies. He’s soon enmeshed in a scheme involving gang killings that veers into human trafficking—smuggling workers to oil-rich Mexico. Meanwhile, equally lonely PI Ava Monica investigates the case of a runaway bride. Vining displays flashes of wit as he builds his world, but the surfeit of detail at times overwhelms the plot and human relationships. The author’s descriptions can be fun, but he just can’t seem to decide what story he wants to tell. (Dec.)