Marjorie M. Liu, Eye of Heaven

Eye of Heaven

Marjorie M. Liu

Leisure, December 2006, $6.99

ISBN: 0843957654

Dirk & Steele operative Blue Perrineau is injured from an explosion, and he knows he is fortunate to be alive. Needing to recover, he is taken off his current assignment and sent home to heal. Blue is unhappy with this turn, but understands he is unable to complete the mission.

In the San Francisco airport, Blue learns of the death of the "great" man, his father Felix Perrineau, dead at seventy from a heart attack in his sleep. When his cell phone rings, on the other end is a person speaking his mom's language Farsi, and knowing too much about Blue and his parents. He meets the stranger who takes him to his "dead" father. Felix demands that Blue find his other son Daniel, or his mom and his Dirk and Steele pals will pay the price. Though he loathes his sire, Blue believes the evil man and sets off to locate his half-brother. He easily fined Daniel working at a Vegas circus, where Blue meets and is attracted to animal trainer Iris. When the shapeshifting woman is assaulted, the two siblings vow to keep her safe, while both wonder if their dad is behind the attack, while Blue finds himself in love.

The latest Dirk & Steele thriller, as always, is a fast-paced, action-packed tale with the twist that the lead male is not on a work assignment, but instead this one is personal, from the airport phone call through a complex lethal conspiracy, until the final altercation. Blue and Iris are a fabulous pairing, who as a team can handle almost anything, but supplemented by Daniel, they actually have a chance against overwhelming odds, especially when the diabolically clever Felix is involved. Fans will enjoy perhaps the best novel in the series, while newcomers will seek out the D&S backlist (see TIGER EYE, SHADOW TOUCH, and THE RED HEART OF JADE).