Czech Mate

September 15, 2007
Military policeman Max Rydal and his Special Investigation Branch have been posted to Germany. Its cold, its snowing, and Maxs men are not happy. All they want is to settle in for the Christmas holiday, but before they can unpack their things, they have two serious crimes to solve, not to mention ensuring that security is in place for an upcoming regimental chess tournament. The first crime involves a stolen truck of supplies and a missing military man. Then, hitting closer to home, the young son of an army officer is attacked. As Max and his team try to solve the crimes and handle the preparations for the chess tournament, they find themselves facing frustration after frustration. The only happy note is that Max meets a sexy chess player who just might ease the ache in his heart left by the tragic death of his wife and baby son a few years earlier. Lee Childs Jack Reacher novels remain the gold standard in the military-cop subgenre, but Darrells series will entertain Reacher fans between adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)