"Don't Look Twice", by Andrew Gross

Book2, in the Lieutenant Ty Hauck series

This is the author's follow up to "The Dark Tide", its storyline is captivating enough although heavy on old clichés and a touch formulaic in style. It nevertheless has some of the elements to make it a page turner and leave most satisfied and happy.

This story opens with a bang and keeps a steady pace throughout. It starts one morning with Ty and his daughter waiting in line at the cash of an Exxon station when out of the blue a drive by shooter sprays the establishment with bullets missing them but killing a federal prosecutor in line behind them. Everyone thinks at first it is a revenge gang attack but Ty has other suspicions.

Ty is not only a witness but he is the head detective in the area and is assigned the case. His initial suspicions are quickly confirmed, there is more to this murder investigation than first meets the eye. He realizes he is on a trail of cover-ups and corruption, a deadly maze linked to a dangerous gambling ring with political connections which eventually lead to devastating results in his own family.

This story follows much the same pattern as the previous novel. The first similarity pops up when Ty's investigation reveals the widow of the deceased prosecutor was oblivious to her husband's shenanigans. Another is when he is distracted by a young restaurateur who is being harassed by troublemakers. His urge to become a knight in shining armor and his elevated testosterone are bound to get him in trouble sooner or later.....

I found this novel lacks in character development and originality. After reading the previous novel the structure is predictable and Ty has become a cookie cutter investigator. Nevertheless, I did find the tale interesting.