TEN OF SWORDS

A loner private eye in the Sam Spade tradition, Jason Coulter is hired to find a teenager in Salt Lake City, a young girl who may be involved with the Church of the Four-Sided Triangle, a cult fond of ritual sacrifices

YA-- This novel, set in Salt Lake City, revolves around two seemingly unrelated cases--that of a runaway teenage girl and the murder of two young black men. Private detective Jason Coulter, hired to locate the missing Monica, witnesses the gunning down of the two teens and thus assumes an unofficial role in the shooting investigation. The FBI soon becomes involved since the murder appears to be racially motivated. What Coulter learns is that the two cases are, in reality, closely tied. An intriguing, quick read.
- Diane Goheen, Topeka West High School, KS
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Hired to find runaway teen Monica Gasteau, Salt Lake City-based PI Jason Coulard, seen previously in Carnivores , stakes out a well-populated park. There he finally spots Monica, jogging with another girl and two black youths. But shots ring out and the boys are killed. A former homicide cop, Coulard has allies and enemies on the force, and members of both factions turn up to investigate the murders. Although the general consensus is that the crime was racially motivated, Coulard finds deeper connections linking the shootings, the missing teen and a salacious satanic cult. Urging Coulard (and the plot) forward is a constant influx of information from, variously, his former homicide partner; an uncharacteristically forthcoming FBI agent; and a sexy tarot reader. An abundance of convincingly embedded red herrings offsets the rather flat portrayal of Coulard--whenever the hero waxes contemplative, the tone curdles. Former Salt Lake City cop Levitt does far better with action scenes.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.