{"product_id":"red-rain-0670030902","title":"Red Rain","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0670030902\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Crow, Michael\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Booklist Luther Ewing's past--in the Gulf War and as a mercenary in Bosnia--defines him, but he'd rather leave it behind. It doesn't work that way. He's found an outlet for his simmering violence as a member of the Baltimore County Police Department, but his past comes back to haunt him in the form of Vassily, a Soviet expatriate whom Luther encountered in his mercenary days. Now Vassily and his thugs are moving into Baltimore's drug trade; the inevitable turf war begins, and as the bodies accumulate, Luther makes contact with his former comrade and attempts to nudge him into abandoning crime. It doesn't work, and the two eventually confront each other in a suspenseful, grisly conclusion. Luther is a satisfying enigmatic hero, much like Hawk in the Spenser series. He has a moral center, but exactly where it is and when he will pay attention to it seem up for grabs. Crow is the pen name of an acclaimed literary novelist; he's soon to be an acclaimed crime-fiction writer, too. Wes LukowskyCopyright  American Library Association. All rights reserved Product Description Luther Ewing--a Gulf War veteran and former mercenary now employed by the Baltimore County Police Department--finds himself back in a battle zone when he decides to help some friends in the department take on the Russian mafia. 15,000 first printing. From Publishers Weekly Crow, \"the pseudonym of a prizewinning, critically acclaimed literary novelist,\" comes forth with this raw-edged, Ramboesque crime drama about a Baltimore police detective's secret past and his frenzied pursuit of an old foe. None of his colleagues on the force know that narcotics cop Luther Ewing got kicked out of the U.S. Special Forces for inappropriate violence during the Gulf War. Nor do they know that Ewing then turned mercenary sniper, killing at least 84 Serb soldiers in Bosnia before getting shot in the head himself. Baltimore police are also unaware that the man who has seized the city's street drug trade, a ruthless Russian mobster named Vassily, is one of Ewing's former buddies in the soldier-for-hire ranks. Forsaking his old friendship, Ewing leads a sting operation to nab Vassily; not only does it fail, but the drug kingpin vows to come after him. Blood spills up and down the eastern seaboard, from Baltimore to Brighton Beach, as the two battle-hardened warriors track each other. The action moves in steady, violent bursts, interwoven with moments of tense reflection and preparation as the hunt progresses. It's a strong beginning to what is apparently envisioned as a series. Through vivid first-person narration, Ewing emerges as a well-constructed caricature a complex brooder, scarred by his past, emotionally distant but exactly the kind of man for those nasty jobs no one else is willing to do. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Ex-Special Forces sharpshooter Luther Ewing is now a detective in the Narcotics Division of the Baltimore County Police Department. His military training has made him into a highly skilled killer, and his mercenary experience in Bosnia has left him subject to seizures and memory loss. When it becomes clear that heroin is replacing ecstasy as the drug of choice in the area and that a Russian gang is muscling in on the Baltimore drug trade, Luther realizes that his past has caught up with him. The violence escalates, and soon Luther must go underground to trap the elusive Russian gang leader. A literary novelist writing under a pseudonym, Crow presents a tense, gritty book. Luther Ewing is one of a kind, and Crow skillfully surrounds him with memorable secondary characters who add depth and reality to a graphic and violent tale. This is a good bet for readers of police procedurals, but it will be off-putting for some, as there is considerable profanity, stark descriptions of murder, and an unusual denouement. For large fiction collections. Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University H\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eMystery | Literature \u0026amp; Fiction | Thrillers | Thriller \u0026amp; Suspense | Contemporary\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Mia Karts","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67997810622752,"sku":"NEW0670030902","price":16.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0980\/7426\/3840\/files\/71_VlSODOcL.jpg?v=1793043073","url":"https:\/\/miakarts.com\/en-ca\/products\/red-rain-0670030902","provider":"Miakarts Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}