No Control

Rating:
Summary: Fine police procedural
Review: After much controversy and heated debate, the townships of Delaware, Jefferson, Butler, and Pocono Falls agree to dissolve their local forces and join the recently formed Delaware Regional Police Force. Pennsylvania State Trooper Clarry Neumark applies for a job with the DRP after her former boy friend James Leacock offered it to her. Clarry sees this position as a chance to finally settle in one place with her teenage son Peter.

Over the next year, Clarry has no time to think about James. However, that changes when someone murders an influential businessman. A second homicide follows. The crime scenes contain an eagle feather left on the victims. The clue the perpetrator left behind leads the police to investigate the local high school basketball team "The Eagles" because someone is killing off former members of the team. A former star of the Eagles, James refuses police protection. Another businessman also rejects protection. The police wonder what activities these two are doing that would warrant the risk to their lives.

Although passages of NO CONTROL seem too long, the novel remains one of the best police procedurals of the year. The reader needs to dig deep into the story before realizing what is truly happening. However, by that time, the tale has twisted elsewhere. Stephen Solomita's current novel is more complex than his successful previous book (TRICK ME TWICE) as the lead protagonist diligently works the case from a totally different paradigm than her superiors travel. Mr. Solomita's star is rapidly rising.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: first rate story; first rate writing
Review: Stephen Solomita has become one of my favorite writers. I watch for his latest and so far have not been disappointed. No Control held me in my chair. Not only are the charcters full and real, the story fascinating with all its twists and turns, but the the setting is also refreshing, a reminder that not all evil in is the streets of the ghettos.