Crime Wave

" 'We lie here and see what happens.'

"He glanced at me. 'You are so boring.'

" 'One of my best qualities.'

" 'Said the really boring guy.' "

Braddock and Carter have more than one obstacle to hurdle -- violent drug dealers, shady lawyers and an uncooperative police force -- but their chief foes are a gang of white supremacists, an underworld faction that Shelby appears to have researched well and that he details chillingly. He also works the reader through the unfolding mystery dexterously, introducing new characters and possibilities while keeping an eye on various subplots that no doubt will continue to develop over the course of this series.

Does it all work? Not totally. The subplot involving Braddock's alcoholic mother is an attempt at family drama that feels tacked on; the novel bogs down during these chapters. A few logical inconsistencies intrude as well, such as the episode in which Braddock and Carter shoot up a white supremacist compound with illegal machine guns, killing several residents, only to have the police let them go after some halfhearted questioning. (In Shelby's defense, a 10-year prison hitch would severely derail Braddock's investigation.) Finally, there's a whopper of a plot twist that, while admittedly surprising, is completely unheralded and comes off feeling like a cheat.

That said, the book reads faster than a ripcurl and is thoroughly enjoyable. Fans of the Bolitar, Spenser or Burke detective series should hang 10 with Shelby's Noah Braddock. ·

Craig Davidson is the author of the story collection "Rust & Bone."