TIN BADGES

Retired New York police detective Tank Rizzo, a "tin badge" called upon to work a cold case, targets a big-time cocaine dealer.

Rizzo's life is complicated. He's seeing the daughter of Carmine Tramonti, a restaurateur who once controlled betting activities for the mob. And following the death of his long-estranged brother, Jack, and Jack's wife in a car crash, Rizzo adopts his angry teenage nephew, Chris, who threatens to pull back the blinds on a dark family secret harbored by the ex-cop. Eventually, Chris, a computer whiz, becomes part of a task force Rizzo puts together to nail the dealer, Gonzo. (Introducing a plotline that will play out in an announced sequel, Chris is determined to prove that his parents' deaths were no accident.) Rizzo's offbeat squad also includes his partner Frank "Pearl" Monroe, now disabled, whom he loves like a brother; Alexandra, a psychic who "has better intel than anyone at the NYPD"; and Bruno, an ex-fighter who runs a neighborhood boxing club. Carcaterra, still best known for Sleepers (1995) and the controversy over whether it's actually a true story, entertainingly delineates the relationships between Rizzo and the people in his life. Carmine, to whom Rizzo is surprisingly close, makes for a unique foil. But the bad guys get short shrift. Outside of naming his coke brands after Al Pacino movies, Gonzo doesn't make much of an impression, appearing mainly to utter threats. As a result, the plot is undercooked. You're left hungry for suspense.

A likable but less than compelling mystery.