WALKING HOMELESS

A homeless man becomes a local hero—at a steep price.

When John Tibbets comes to the rescue of an NYPD cop, he’s shot for his trouble, but that may be the least of his problems. After 30-plus years on the job, Captain Walter Taft has seen it all. He’s thankful that Tibbets saved his wife’s nephew, but when he starts looking into how a homeless man easily killed three muggers, he finds some surprises. For one, Tibbets seems to have a classic case of amnesia. He has no idea how he acquired the skills of a Navy SEAL or any memory of anything before he came to the Bowery shelter that’s now his home. Tibbets says little, keeps out of trouble and is in remarkable physical condition but is plagued by nightmares. His story arouses a media frenzy that brings him to the attention of a mysterious crew that does everything possible to find him when he walks out of the hospital. Realizing that he may be tagged for death, Tibbets goes to Julie Warner, who runs the shelter, for help. As he and Julie flee for their lives, they leave a trail of corpses in their wake. Taft wants to help, but even the resources of the NYPD may not be enough to keep Tibbets ahead of that ruthless team of killers.

As in his debut (Dunston Falls, 2008), Lamanda provides thrills, chills and a final twist that make this entry stand out.