The return of Cailfornian surfing PI Boone Daniels.
Don Winslow has worked as a movie theatre manager, a production assistant, and as a private investigator. In addition to being a novelist he now works as an independent consultant in issues involving litigation arising from criminal behaviour. His novels include The Death and Life of Bobby Z, California Fire and Life, The Power of the Dog and The Winter of Frankie Machine.
The laidback calm of the Southern California surfing community of Pacific Beach boils over violently in Winslow's fast-paced sequel to The Dawn Patrol (2008). Surfer dude PI Boone Daniels reluctantly takes on two cases. First, fellow board rider Dan Nichols suspects his wife, "an eleven on a California scale of ten," is cheating on him and wants Boone to spy on her. Worse, Boone's new slow-burning flame, lawyer Petra Hall, wants him for the defense of 19-year-old Corey Blasingame, tied in with the Rockpile Crew, a surfing gang with a neo-Nazi skinhead agenda, from up the coast. Corey is accused of the beating death of surfing legend Kelly Kuhio, "Uncle K" to Boone, who worshipped him as a kid. Dumped headfirst into a dark ocean of "localism," Boone must also contend with surfers trying to keep their beaches for themselves and threats from the Mexican cartels. The title refers to the "second shift on the daily surfing clock" after the dawn patrol. Winslow ensures there's nothing "gentlemanly" about the action. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
The dog days of August bring flat water for the handful of aging surfers who paddle out into San Diego Bay before heading to work each morning. Among them, PI Dan Boone and SDPD detective Johnny Kodani find their relationship strained because they are on opposite sides of the investigation of the brutal murder of a local surfing icon. The confessed killer is a rich kid from La Jolla whose father is a real estate magnate. But Boone's not sure the kid really did it and is working for the defense. Meanwhile, he's also tailing the wife of another surfer buddy who suspects an affair. It's an ugly matter because the answer is yes, and the guy is a big-time soil engineer. Boone gets into deeper and deadlier water as the two cases overlap, and much more than his next good day at the beach is in jeopardy. VERDICT This sequel to Winslow's Dawn Patrol is more than just a snappy summertime thriller written with hip surfer dude dialog. It's a thoughtful cultural commentary about an iconic coastal community with too much money, constant sunshine, and terminal greed. [See Prepub Alert, 2/21/11.]-Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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