OFFICER DOWN

In Wexler’s debut novel, a cop shuffles through worlds of fiction and reality to unravel a case of murder and stolen millions.

It’s been a decade since Detective Frank Stanton’s partner, Tommy Doyle, died in a tense confrontation with mobsters. And though the killer, Jimmy Powers, has already been executed, Internal Affairs officers are convinced that Frank has spent all that time sitting on two million dollars in lost mob money. But now the killer is back; ghostly Jimmy materializes to poke around in Frank’s oddly jumbled memories. Powers, who believes Frank knows where the money is, acts as the detective’s “tour guide,” showing him various realities. In one, Frank has died while Tommy lives on; in another, both men are still alive. It’s an increasingly convoluted set of possible worlds, teeming with murders and double-crosses and involving a handful of other parties, including Frank’s ex-wife. Is Frank a dirty cop with a sack full of untraceable cash, or is he just another person betrayed? Wexler does an admirable job of keeping the twisty narrative of this complex thriller in check. What Powers is doing is clear from the start, as is each plot shift, as when an unquestionably alive Frank opens a new scene right after someone visits his gravesite. The author wrangles a huge cast by smartly zeroing in on a select few, such as Frank, Tommy, and women in their lives. While nearly everyone is unsavory or glaringly flawed (“The man, Warwick, had a face like a rat”), discovering which of these characters will remain loyal in such precarious circumstances makes for great reading. The labyrinthine plot, perhaps unsurprisingly, spins into an unpredictable ending that also serves as an effective wrap-up.

A riveting, gritty, and boldly dizzying crime caper with a touch of the paranormal.