Grace under fire

A famous quote often attributed to Alfred Hitchcock intoned, "Drama is life with the boring bits taken out." Richard's Sand's latest Lucas Rook thriller begs to differ. Here, the so-called boring bits are here in all their glory, and you know what? They really aren't all that boring, after all. But more on this notion in a moment.

Blood Redeemed (the accompanying illustration, borrowed from Amazon, depicts an early version of the book's cover, as there's no question mark in the final title) concerns itself with private investigator and ex-cop Rook dealing with the aftermath of the previous book's events, where he almost died at the hands of a crooked cop. In the final pages of that book, Hell's Reunion, Rook was saved by his blind, gorgeous, but decidedly eccentric neighbor Grace Savoy, who managed to follow the sounds around her and shoot the crooked cop before he could finish off Rook. The main events of Blood Redeemed center on Lucas Rook getting back on his feet from his near-mortal wounds and protecting Grace from a murder rap (crooked or not, she did shoot a cop, which isn't taken lightly in most circles). In fact, if there wasn't already a TV show with that name, a perfect title for this book would be Saving Grace, because that's what the book is ultimately about (literally, and the more I think about it, figuratively, too).

Okay, getting back to the so-called boring bits. Never afraid to relate the minutiae of detective work and daily life in the past Lucas Rook novels, Sand especially doesn't shy away from Rook's day-to-day personal and professional activities in Blood Redeemed. We see Lucas endlessly talking to lawyers, getting his car out of the garage, returning his car to the garage, getting his shoes shined (several times), going to his favorite diner, taking on small side cases to pay the bills, etc. But all of these things- usually ignored or minimized in other thrillers- once again turn out to be not uninteresting at all, as they slowly but surely advance the progress of the main case (untangling Rook's neighbor from her legal mess) or reveal Rook's ever-changing state of mind. Often these normal, everyday scenes do both. And they provide a vibe of realism.

However, is it all "the drama of the everyday" this time out? Not at all. Tension and danger pepper the opening pages, as Rook's bloody and broken body is rushed to the hospital. There's a confrontation with some street thugs around the middle of the book, and one more violent scene before the book's close that you should discover for yourself. So, yes, you also get a decent dose of basic, tried-and-true crime thriller staples in Blood Redeemed. But, really, the understated, methodical approach to Rook's life and mission that fills the bulk of the book would have worked out just fine without these elements (for one book, anyway), and the story really wouldn't have suffered if Rook's life was never in danger this time. Okay, maybe we could have used one less visit to the shoeshine guy. But just one less visit.

The Lucas Rook books are darkly cynical yet in a strange way also upbeat and life-affirming. Lucas sees the darkness and selfishness around him, and is often dark and selfish himself (he excels at urban coarseness and is not above padding his expenses, for instance), but ultimately he takes his various cases seriously and will put his neck out for those he cares about. Just as importantly, many of the equally cynical characters around him often show similar stripes. Even the "bloodsucking lawyers" even come through on occasion, Rook grudgingly admits.

Or, to put it another way, even though the book is called Blood Redeemed, the book is really more a case of Mankind Redeemed, as we're frequently shown goodness and selflessness among the muck, morass, and cynicism. But, of course, the latter wouldn't have been as catchy a title.

Blood Redeemed and the previous Lucas Rook thrillers aren't yet available on Kindle, but are fairly easy to find in your local bookstore or online.