Wes Lyedecker graduated from college with a degree in Criminal Justice and a desire to make a difference. It is this combination that causes him to leave the comfortable life of New England to the streets in small town California. He is anxious to learn the ropes to becoming an effective, hard working policeman. But on his first day at the job he realizes that he may be in for a surprise. One of his first calls with his new partner involves a naked man whose "flesh was bright red...and who seened to be pulsating, expanding and contracting so rapidly that he almost looked blurred." The drug crazed man is able to tackle Lyedecker, steal his gun before taken care of by Officer Bell. This almost slap stick introduction is a taste of the gritty yet humor ladden book to come. It is also the beginning of the mismatched pair's hunt for source of meth in their area that leads them to face corruption on all levels.

In addition to coping with the crime, Lyedecker must also learn to deal with his partner. Bell's abrasive manner and willingness to get the job done, no matter what the rules or consequences, is hard for the by the books rookie. Solving the crimes is the plot, but the story is the strong but rocky relationship between the men. It is this storyline that gives the book its breath taking ending, an unexpected blow that makes the reader rethink the entire book.

This debut novel makes Knoerle the new crime author to watch. He writes with an inate style that utilizes a sense of timing rarely seen in new writers. His understanding of his characters enables him to write a believable, gut wrenching story of realtionships and crime. Blending humor with mayhem, he has made a dazzling entry into the crime genre. ( )