BROTHER'S KEEPER

In Gordon’s debut thriller, a Seattle man discovers that his twin brother—a man he never knew existed—has been killed.

Mack Fraser finds out that a man with a bullet hole in his head looks just like him, and it turns out to be his identical twin, Kevin, whom Mack’s never met before. Kevin was murdered along with four other people in Elliott Bay Park, and as Mack investigates, he realizes that his brother may have been the main target. Kevin’s killers appear to have been after some valuable items that he’d hidden, and soon enough, it seems that Mack may be next on the killers’ list. This blistering thriller showcases a sardonic protagonist with just the right amount of believability (“I think we’ve met,” Mack says to the medical examiner who performed his brother’s autopsy). Mack maintains his outward cool even with a gun in his face, although he still chokes back his fear. The story starts off as a murder mystery, although it’s not long before the villains’ identities are made abundantly clear. However, suspense keeps the story hopping, and Gordon doles it out in copious amounts by putting Mack’s life in constant peril; at various points, he’s threatened, beaten and run off the road. There’s also a sense of pervasive danger, as Mack, who owns a security company, has a fortified home, but it’s still as susceptible to intrusion as any other. Although Mack’s interest in his brother’s history lies solely in finding his killer, his strong familial ties give his mission a semblance of nobility; for example, he struggles with how to tell his daughter, Andi, and his half brother, Curtis, about his recently discovered twin and his shocking end. Mack is no Philip Marlowe, but his resourceful pals put him at a distinct advantage, particularly ex-detective Sam, whose store, Sherlock’s Brews & Books, is a fitting place to discuss details of an ongoing investigation; and independently wealthy computer genius Sherm, who supplies elusive info, nurses a hung over Mack and even has money for bail.

A fine detective story that will make readers hope for more stories of Mack Fraser and his friends.