comes as a horrific shock when young Native American policeman Timothy Bear Child becomes a suspect in three Chicago murders. Not only does he face dangerous offenders on the job, but he now also faces hefty criminal charges.

Bear Child retains the help of Native American ex-cop and private investigator Noel Two Horses. Along with friends, Two Horses plans to prove Bear Child's innocent, all the while suspecting the young officer has been accused due to race-based discrimination, wrong place, wrong time.

While dealing with a Sinaloa drug cartel shooter and a histrionic client, Two Horses flies under the radar of the police agencies that have wrongfully labeled Bear Child a serial murderer. Legal avenues might not be enough, however, as all involved creep ever closer to an OK Corral-type conclusion.

Rick Church has written a wise and witty thriller, full of breathless encounters and dark, dry humor. It's a fine read.

Thomas Cobb, author of Crazy Heart