As a result of raves for Special Agent James O. Born's first thriller novel, "Walking Money," he got a second book deal, which this is. His main character, FDLE agent Bill Tasker, who might well be the author's fictional alter ego, returns for another bout with that head clashing outfit in law enforcement, the FBI. Besides the fact that Born's dialogue is highly realistic, there's a keen sense of familiarity with the turf and the occupation throughout this new drama.

Most interestingly, there's a modesty about what people on both sides of the law can do, a sort of down-to-earth quality, as though this author can't or isn't willing to hype up his reality to iconic levels. Hero and villain alike make mistakes and fumble around to correct and amend them. People make wrong assumptions, play false roles, change their minds. Just like in real life. What, law enforcement people are just like us? Unimaginable. But very entertaining.

Sting operations involving petty drug traffickers is routine work for Tasker and the FDLE but when he takes down a mope called Gene, he's going to be led into something on a higher level. "I know a guy who's looking to sell a Stinger missile," the plea bargainer declares.

This leads to a joint operation between a smorgasbord of agencies. From ATF comes the gorgeous redhead Camy Parks who, word has it, is a lesbian; Tasker's old pard Derrick Sutter, a Miami cop who saved Tasker's ass on a previous case who is certain he can turn Camy's gender preference around, and the very "different" twit of an FBI agent, Jimmy Lail." Lail's thing is that he's white and talks like a rap artist. "Dawg, I got your back on this. Things slide shallow and I'll be in the shit" is a choice example of his mystifying and irrelevant patois.

Tasker's also trying to find time for his other life, the family. Already divorced from Donna, an ex who couldn't take the sacrifices demanded by his work ethic and dedication, Tasker yearns to have time with his two girls, athletic Emily, 8, and artistic Kelly, 10. These days he devotes every available hour with them, but that quality time is about to get scarce.

A twisted tale of retrieval and investigation begins when FBI rookie Jim Cobb reports that he'd seen something that he didn't quite see. Trying to make a name for himself, he makes an assumption that leads to the imprisonment of Daniel Wells, a very shifty bomb expert with ties to hate groups and a tendency toward self-aggrandizement, but under wrong charges. It's a law enforcement mess that needs to be cleaned up.

The outcome of which was my greatest disappointment. I can't get into the details of it without spoiling the ending, but I can say that author Born is either planning a sequel, which I think inadvisable, or he went with an unsatisfying resolution that's even more inadvisable. The getting there demonstrates, however, a mystery writer with lots of potential.