Fairly run of the mill thriller. Obviously part of a series, maybe third or fourth - though there's no details given. It works well enough as a stanalone with a few references to previous events to let you know what happened. The next in the series is clearly hooked in through the epilogue.

Henry is our continuing hero - a reporter for the New York Gazette. He and his girlfriend have just got themselves settled after whatever it was that happened in the pervious installment, when Henry learns that he has a step-brother, whom he has never met in 30 years. Unfortunetly he learns this via the police because his brother has just been killed. As a reporter Henry is fairly hardened to such tradgedy, and he'd never known Stephen. When the police arrest his farther for the murder though, Henry realises something else is going on. Even though he's been estranged from his farther for most of his life Henry knows his dad couldn't have done such a thing. SO begging a few days leave from the troubled Gazette, Henry investigates and quickly realises he's deep in the New York drug scene.

As a mid-series book it's ok. There isn't that much action, mostly Henry is talking to people and following leads. His relationship with Amanda moves along, but theres nothing very deep about Henry's character, or anytihng particularly inciteful written about life in New York. Strangely an obiously new character is introduced at the Gazette, but nothing much more is mentioned about him.

Readable - but nothing special, Not even long journey fodder, because its fairly short. ( )

I didn’t realize this wasn’t the first in the Henry Parker series until after I started reading it, which is unfortunate since I actually *do* have the first book sitting in my TBR pile. Thankfully, reading the previous books is not crucial in your enjoyment of this book — you just miss out on some character development, though several previous events are alluded to. Henry’s not the easiest guy to like, but I found that I warmed up to him. He’s had an unhappy family life, so when a murder victim turns out to be a brother he never knew he had, you can understand how everything changes for him. What else has his father not told him? I thought the suspense and the mystery were pretty good, even if Henry does just stumble across many of the things he 'figures out'. There’s an interesting tie-in to his mentor at the end, and you can see where the next book is going. I’d read more of this series. ( )