Chasers

April 2, 2007
In the 1997 action thriller Apaches, Caraterra introduced ex-NYPD detective, Giovanni "Boomer" Frontieri, who brought together a band of cops, each forcibly retired due to a disability acquired on the job, to take down an insidious drug dealer. Now, three years later, Boomer has reassembled the two surviving members of his original crew in order to avenge the death of his niece, gunned downed during a drug-related hit. Joining the old guard are three newly damaged ex-officers (including a 125-pound Neapolitan bullmastiff named Buttercup), each looking for a bit of vigilante justice. When Boomer traces his niece's shooting to Angel, an ex-priest turned South American drug lord, he realizes the odds are stacked astronomically high against them, and reluctantly turns to some unexpected allies in organized crime. Apaches was a slam-bang ride gone full tilt on blood, bullets and bodies. Unfortunately, this bloated, overwritten sequel never captures the excitement of its predecessor, spinning its wheels with cardboard characters, testosterone-soaked dialogue and movie-style action sequences that defy physics and believability both.

April 1, 2007
Some exciting action sequences aren't enough to overcome the plodding start and constant melodrama in best-selling author Carcaterra's (Sleepers) latest effort. While this is not truly a sequel to his earlier Apaches, several characters do return from that novel to play prominent roles here. The chasers of the title refer to a group of ex-cops who miss the thrill of the chase. When one of the lead characters loses a niece to a gangland incident, he enlists several of his former officers to take down a leading drug kingpin. The story could have been interesting without too much dressing, but Carcaterra's writing at times is so earnest that it becomes unintentionally funny. The heartfelt speeches by some of the characters are often corny, and the drug-dealing baddies have backstories that we've read about a hundred times before. While this one might find readers owing to the author's popularity, it's not among his better efforts. For larger collections where Carcaterra's novels circulate.Craig Shufelt, Fort McMurray P.L., Alta.

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2007
A man, holding a cup of coffee, stares down at the body of a young girl at a crime scene. The man has absolutely no business there: he's wandered into the restaurant where the murder occurred--the scene has already been roped off--and starts chatting with one of the investigators. Anyone with even a scrap of knowledge about crime scenes will know instantly how utterly inexcusable this procedural lapse is, but it's the opening premise of Carcaterra's latest vigilante mystery. The little girl is the man's niece, giving a very tortured entry point for his involvement in the case, which leads to a Colombian drug cartel. The man is a former NYPD detective, now one of a renegade group of vigilant crime fighters introduced in Carcaterra's " Apaches" (1997). Like Burke in Andrew Vachss' series about another no-holds-barred vigilante, the Apaches, all former cops, fight a neverending war against crime, unburdened by the strictures of the legal system. This time, unfortunately, the improbability of the plot detracts significantly from the emotional impact of the story. Still, Carcaterra has amassed a significant following, stretching back to his critically celebrated debut, " Sleepers "(1995), and his latest will be eagerly awaited.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)