May 18, 2009
Bestseller Gilstrap (Nathan’s Run
) launches a thriller series following PI Jonathan Grave. Much like Bruce Wayne, Grave is single and rich, uses expensive gadgets and has a vigilante alter ego. Hokey dialogue (“I respect anyone willing to die for a cause.... My goal is to help die for their cause. But I still respect them”) hampers an otherwise entertaining read as Grave investigates the disappearance of investigative reporter Tibor Rothman, husband of Grave’s ex-wife, Ellen. Sheriff Gail Bonneville of Samson, Ind., is chasing Grave in turn, since a hostage rescue mission he fronted turned into a shootout. Thriller fans may not mind the cheesiness or flat characters like brutish pilot Boxers and sassy computer specialist Venice (“pronounced Ven-EE-chay, by the way”), as this fast-paced tale of violence and revenge is all about plot, of which there is plenty.