In Robinson’s debut thriller, a Louisiana homicide detective deals with a city that’s lost its resident superhero.

Francisco Tatiano, aka Fantastic Franc, has long protected the Crescent City. But his electromagnetic-pulse superpower doesn’t make him invulnerable, and he dies while captive of the Recluse, a merciless supervillain. His fellow captive and local detective sidekick, Renaldo Brown, survives the ordeal. Gretna PD picks up the case, since it falls in their jurisdiction, and Brown is taken aback when the investigating detective questions his initial witness statement. But as the investigation continues, more surprises await, especially when previously vanquished baddies begin resurfacing. Not only did Franc have history with a criminal gang, but his mysterious father may have had ties to the Mafia. Even Brown’s wife, Julissa, who’s about seven months pregnant with their second child, has a possible connection with a villain Franc and the detective had put away. Now back to chasing lawbreakers without his superpowered partner, Brown finds himself in hot water after discharging his weapon during a pursuit. This makes it harder to follow the Gretna investigation, which includes at least one suspect whom Brown may know. Despite an early revelation, Robinson’s novel is rife with mysteries, namely characters’ hidden pasts. This thriller cleverly deconstructs superheroes. Both Franc and Recluse have flaws any ordinary human would have, and Brown’s pursuit of criminals, sans the publicly adored hero, leads to accusations of police brutality. The action scenes are few but fun, particularly when Julissa reveals her own strengths. Robinson’s concise writing keeps the story moving, but frequent tense changes are a distraction. Not every subplot is resolved by the end, leaving readers primed for future installments.

An enjoyable, understated detective tale and a smart examination of superheroes.