SynopsisA shadowy operator decides to put a lock on South Florida's cocaine trade, and Miami is suddenly transformed into a war zone as bloodily anarchic as Beirut. Chris Meadows has the bad luck to see an old girlfriend die in the crossfire. He has the worse luck, to see the face of her murderers., Architect Chris Meadows has the bad luck to see an old girlfriend get hit by a car full of drugland hitmen. He has the worse luck to see the face of her murderers. Because in a town as violent as Miami, a witness doesn't stand a chance--especially when the cops who ought to be protecting him are more interested in dangling him as live bait.
"Powder Burn." Sums up guns, cocaine, and violence in two words.
The first of three books that Carl Hiaasen and Bill Montalbano wrote together, it's a little uneven in places, and at times I could tell which writer's voice was "speaking." (In the second book they wrote together, I could not tell who wrote what. They seemed to have somehow developed a singular voice.) The story was good and kept me turning the pages. The ending surprised me, but I think it was perfect.
I thought I’d read all of Hiaasen’s work, then I found 3 more novels I didn’t know about written by Carl Hiaasen, and Bill Montalbano.
Powder Burn is the first I’ve read of the three in the Black Lizard series.
It was much different than other novels I’ve read by Carl Hiaasen, but I still enjoyed the read. I’m looking forward to the two remaining in the series, Death in China, and Trap Line.