Risk Factor

January 15, 2021
A trio of rule-breaking women keep San Remo County Deputy Sheriff Buddy Steel on his toes. Buddy's still fighting the attempts of his father, ALS-stricken Sheriff Burton Steel, to appoint him acting sheriff and ultimately anoint him sheriff in his place. But he's called back from his sabbatical jaunt away with friend-with-benefits Jordyn Yates when the house where he was raised becomes the latest victim of a high-tech burglar who effortlessly circumvents home security systems and cracks the safes inside. His father is so upset and depressed that Buddy quickly agrees to return as acting sheriff, refusing the title but taking on the responsibilities. Those responsibilities extend from figuring out how the burglar operates to intervening personally when another burglary turns into a hostage crisis, overcoming and arresting the well-born burglar and hostage taker, Jeffrey Brice, and ascertaining that the brains behind all those break-ins is a woman. In short order, Buddy finds himself tangling with both Jill Nelson, the apparent hostage who disappeared shortly after her rescue, and Catalina Sanchez, the cybersmart daughter of Los Perros cartel leader Chuy Sanchez, and seeking help from Quinn Anthony, the barely legal cybersecurity consultant who has the hots for him and doesn't mind telling him so at every opportunity. As usual in this fast-paced franchise, Brandman's more interested in action than mystery, and the biggest riddle isn't whodunit but how Buddy will deal with Jill, Catalina, and Quinn. Fans will likely be satisfied with all three of his solutions. The perfect substitute for that good-time trip to California you've decided not to take after all.

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April 15, 2021
Buddy Steel is a deputy with the Freedom, California, sheriff's department, but with his dad being the sheriff, things aren't always easy, and Buddy's taken a sabbatical to figure out if it's time to move on. But he heads back after learning that his father's house has been burgled in what looks to be just the latest in a string of crimes that the sheriff's department has been trying to solve. Then someone hacks into the local bank and clears out millions. Buddy knows he has to act fast, so, putting aside the burglaries, he hires gifted computer geek Quinn Anthony. With her help, he determines that the hacker, who's almost as talented as Quinn, has connections to a Mexican drug cartel. Vivid characters, a flawed but very likable hero who exudes grit, a meaty plot with plenty of twists, and a satisfying ending make this a thoroughly enjoyable read.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 19, 2021
At the start of bestseller Brandman’s solid fourth mystery featuring sheriff’s deputy Buddy Steel (after 2019’s Wild Card), Buddy, who’s taking some time off in Utah, returns home to Freedom, Calif., after the home of his ailing sheriff father is ransacked in the latest of a series of burglaries. The stakes rise when a policeman is shot during the next break-in. Meanwhile, a series of cyberthefts is devastating local businesses, and Buddy turns for help to Quinn Anthony, a digital whiz who can track any cybercriminal. Buddy and Quinn lurch awkwardly toward a romantic connection as they narrow their search for the perpetrator. Buddy finds a novel solution to the cyberthefts that mixes compassion and high-action violence. In the burglaries case, meanwhile, an O.J. Simpson–style car chase ends in a dramatic arrest. Screenwriter Brandman uses snappy dialogue to keep the pace quick and the action kinetic. This series is a natural for TV adaptation.