Puzzling Mystery with Retired Military working two jobs, Homeland Security position (on call) attached to Boulder Colorado Police Department as an assigned Fed to help in Homicide investigations. Paired with a local experienced detective who knows investigation but in the small town Police Force, doesn't encounter death in day to day job. I enjoyed the technical detail about military life as an assassin (i.e. setting up weapons, sitting awaiting a shot, judging whether to shoot or not). Also enjoyed the interplay of a basic military man and a traditional policeman looking at a murder from their unique perspectives and negotiating the areas of conflict. I found the deference of Chase (the Military man) to be at odds with his Academy training and rank of Major. He acted as you might expect an enlisted man to act in the company of ranking officers. Just a little too subservient for someone with his background in his position. I imagine his cynicism is about on target for someone who participated in three questionable wars, just obeying commands without being able to expect any justification for the things he was trained to do without question. I imagine lots of servicemen are out there with similar feelings about what they were asked to do. I did enjoy the ending as I'm spoiled and think the good guys should succeed. The twists and turns were also a source of enjoyment. I must admit, I started off the wrong direction several times and had to go back and re-read a section to find where a plot jump dodged my thought train. It is a book that would likely benefit from a second read after gaining the perspective of the first time through. I enjoyed the author's views if they are expressed as the lead characters. I believe it to be a worth while read especially if you would like to expand your exposure to Black Ops, CIA interference within the U.S. and the possibilities of getting away with "Murder" when you have a billet on the Dark Side. ( )