The Sentry
"...a good mix of corruption, betrayal and revenge... "
Synopsis:
Five years ago, Dru Rayne and her uncle fled from Louisiana to Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina hit, but now they face a different kind of danger. A neighborhood protection gang savagely beats Dru's uncle, but Pike witnesses it and offers his own brand of protection. Oddly enough, neither of them seems to want it -- and neither do the federal agents mysteriously watching their storefront, men who appear quite willing to let the gang have its way.
None of that deters Pike -- there's something about Dru that touches him and he won't back away, whether she wants his help or not -- but as the level of violence escalates, and Pike himself becomes a target, he and Elvis Cole begin to discover some things. Dru and her uncle are not who they seem, and everything Pike thought he knew about them, their relationship to the gang, and the reasons they fled New Orleans -- it's all been lies. A vengeful and murderous force is catching up to them... and it's perfectly happy to sweep Pike and Cole up in its wake.
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Review:
The rather laconic Pike returns with his best friend and assistant, Elvis Cole, to tackle and solve a crime which at first seems pretty straightforward. But the deeper the pair of them dig, the more complex things become. As ever, Pike and Cole are exceedingly resourceful and Pike in particular seems to have a sixth sense (in most matters) to help him with his job. Despite Pike saying so little, he is a character who it is impossible to dislike (or maybe this is why he is impossible to dislike!). Both Pike and Cole are those types of characters that seem to have been born as adults as none, or very little is ever mentioned about their earlier lives. I found Pike's attraction and devotion to Dru rather unlikely after knowing her such a short amount of time and also with Pike being sensitive to anyone trying to pull the wool over his eyes, was disbelieving that he would take others at face value. The Sentry has a good mix of corruption, betrayal and revenge and is well worth a read.