Don't Look Twice
by Andrew Gross
A
year has past since the Grand Central bombing case that brought a
certain amount of fame and notoriety to Ty Hauck's life. Amid the
flurry of acitivity of interviews and a new found fame, Hauck enjoys a
quiet everyday moment with his daughter s they stop at an Exxon station
for refreshements. Suddenly out of nowhere a truck pulls up and
Hauck finds himself looking at the barrel of a gun. A barrage of
bullets sprays across the scene. A witness to the event, a
crime which touches the life of his daughter of all people, Hauck has a
special interest in solving the case. On the surface, the
drive-by shooting looks like a gang-related crime. When the
victim's identity turns out to be David Sanger, a federal prosecutor,
Hauck questions the randomness of the crime. The more he pursues
the leads of the case, the less straightforward this case appears ---
and the more deadly. Although Hauck is a detective known
for grabbing ahold of a case and pursuing it until he gets answers,
this case comes close to home, causing him to question everything he
ever knew, those close to him, and even what he thought he knew about
himself
DON'T LOOK TWICE
by Andrew Gross is a fast-paced work of suspense with multiple
layers of clues and detours, and a chilling look at the extreme lengths
and convoluted paths people will go to achieve certain goals.
Detective Hauck himself is a fascinating, likable character.
Readers of THE DARK TIDE will
enjoy catching another glimpse of Hauck in a different setting one year
later. As in the first book, the detective's concern for the
victim's loved ones and others connected to the case gives the story
depth. Certain changes in his personal life allow the reader to
see the depth in his character, the shades of grey that vary according
to external circumstances as well as the constants throughout
time. Hauck's tenacity brings the reader into the case as one
smoke screen fades to another. The novel is at its best towards
the end as the case comes close to home where Andrew Gross packs the
novel with several surprise plot and emotional twists. Even the
he tone and the quality of the prose reaches a new height at the crux
of the novel. With its short chapters and prose style, DON'T LOOK
TWICE is just easy to pick up and not put down until the final
page. Andrew Gross knows how to pack in enough twists to keep a
reader on the edge and satisfy suspense lovers.
DON'T LOOK
TWICE works well as a stand alone. A reader need not have read THE DARK TIDE in order to jump
straight into this book and enjoy it. Andrew Gross summarizes the
past events quickly and with little detail. The past case
does not have much connection to this case. Certainly a
previous knowledge of Ty Hauck causes certain events and thematic
elements to evoke more a feeling for him. In some minute ways, DON'T LOOK TWICE actually works
better as a stand-alone. Some readers coming from THE DARK TIDE anxious to see more
of Ty Hauck's character might find this book a bit disappointing in its
lack of connection to THE DARK TIDE.
Here, Karen conveniently disappears early on in the plot.
Although Andrew Gross provides the reader with a logical and even
emotional reason, glossing over such an important element from the
previous book seems like an easy-out given the intensity of their
connection in the first book. Quite simply, the relationship
between Karen and Ty was one of the main elements in THE DARK TIDE that gave that book
its depth so her absence in this book without at least a little more
detail keeps this book from achieving the maximum effect it might
have. Karen's absence, however, does not detract from the
suspense or the ingenuity of this particular case. In DON'T LOOK TWICE, the emotional
element experienced in THE DARK TIDE
expands outward to other characters in Ty Hauck's life, giving the
reader a fuller glimpse of the totality of man and for this, readers of
THE DARK TIDE will find a new enjoyment in the character
development. If a reader comes to this book craving a similar
element, it will be found here, just displaced to other characters and
not throughout the entire book as much as placed within the nexus of
the case. Ty Hauck is certainly a character Andrew
Gross could take further if he chooses. Perhaps from
the perspective of a possible third book featuring Ty Hauck, DON'T LOOK TWICE will consider this
book as part of the middle book syndrome, but also as a necessary
step in the transition of the detective's evolution as a character.
DON'T LOOK TWICE
is a riveting work of suspense. Andrew Gross is certainly a
rising star. He delivers a well-plotted novel with engaging
characters and enough twists, perfectly placed, to keep the pages
flying. DON'T LOOK
TWICE is a light pleasure read that quite simply delivers
reading pleasure.
From the first page, DON'T LOOK TWICE
grabs and doesn't let go. DON'T
LOOK TWICE is clever, tension-filled and a lot of fun.
Publisher: William Morrow (March 2009)
