Ray's Reviews: The Escape by Baldacci and Raging Heat by Castle

       Two entertaining recent crime novels by bestselling authors feature
strong characters and plots that are virtually impossible to predict.
        “The Escape” by David Baldacci (Grand Central Publishing, $28) is the
third in his popular series starring John Puller, a special agent for the
U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.
        Puller is given an unusual mission by a group of two generals and the
head of the national Security Council. His assignment is to track down an
escapee who got away from the U. S. Disciplinary Barracks, America’s
foremost military prison at Fort Leavenworth KS.
        It’s a challenging task and a personal one – the escapee is his older
brother Robert, who’s been convicted of treason and national security
crimes.
        John gets assistance from U.S. Army Intelligence officer Veronica Knox,
but he’s not sure how much he can trust her. Robert is on the run, trying
to avoid detection.
        While this novel has many standard elements of a police procedural, it’s
also an adrenalin-charged thriller that’s tough to put down.
        Baldacci’s new tale is full of tense suspense with determined, nasty,
clever villains; the body count rises as more secrets are revealed.
        “Raging Heat” by Richard Castle (Kingswell, $26.99) is the sixth in the
popular series showcasing NYPD Homicide detective Nikki Heat and Pulitzer
Prize-winning journalist Jameson Rook.
        If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably been watching too many episodes
of “Castle”, the ABC television series featuring NYPD Homicide detective
Kate Beckett and mystery author Richard Castle. If you’re confused, don’t
worry – there aren’t too many other series written by a fictional TV
character.
        Heat is working on a case involving a body that fell through the roof of
a planetarium; few pieces are left to identify.  Rook is returning from a
reporting assignment and is welcomed back by Heat in more ways that one.
        As Heat, her team and Rook investigate, other clues surface that are
linked to a highly-placed politician. There are a few deadly surprises;
Hurricane Sandy plays an important part in this novel.
        While there are a few well-written scenes full of violence, most of the
rest of the convoluted tale is considerably tamer, with relationships
simmering. You may need to keep a scorecard to keep track of all the
characters.
        This isn’t great literature, but provides enjoyable escapism for cold
winter nights.

        Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, has reviewed crime

novels and Michigan books since 1987.

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on Jan. 4, 2015.