Rage Factor

February 1, 1999
In a tale with the impact of a blunt instrument, Houston bounty hunter Dixie Flannigan (Bitch Factor) becomes the hunted. After hauling in sexual sadist Lawrence Coombs to stand trial for rape, and getting a broken ankle in the process, Dixie is appalled when the jury lets the man walk. A vigilante group called Avenging Angels--perhaps including one of Dixie's best friends--viciously attacks Coombs. Mistakenly believing that Dixie is one of the Angels, the sadist vows revenge on the bounty hunter. Dixie, meanwhile, agrees to act as bodyguard to Sarina Page, daughter of a TV star who is visiting Houston despite threatening notes from a stalker. To complicate matters, Dixie must balance her job with her developing relationship with Parker Dann, the hunk who was her quarry in her first novel and who now worries that her work is too dangerous. Although gutsy Dixie is undeniably engaging, her adventures this time out suffer from slow-moving subplots. Rogers's handling of violence remains sharp, however, and the climactic showdown scene between Dixie and Coombs is a knockout.