Sniper: a Frank Renzi crime thriller by Susan Fleet

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


from Midwest Book Reviews.

"Sniper pairs New Orleans homicide detective Frank Renzi's crime-busting abilities with a challenging scenario as he faces a French Quarter sniper, a crime spree, and a set-up in which a deadly killer targets strangers with the precision of pre-calculated automation. Frank not only can't pinpoint the perp, he has no idea if the killings are random or targeted. Neither is it evident why a clever jewelry store thief's operations should attract the sniper's admiration and earn an invitation for them to meet. Eventually, Frank comes to believe that someone important will die if he can't get a better handle on the sniper's modus operandi and his identity. Unfortunately, Frank doesn't know who the target will be.
Like Susan Fleet's other Frank Renzi books, Sniper can be read as a stand-alone. While it dovetails nicely with his other adventures, it doesn't require any prior familiarity with Renzi in order to prove accessible to newcomers, who receive all the background details they need in the course of this riveting crime thriller.

Another plus to the evolving mystery is that readers are privy to the sniper's thoughts, actions, and his stormy relationship with his handler, which dictates some of his choices and actions. One glimpses the heart and mind of the killer and sees through his eyes, an approach that creates a tense thriller in which a killer barely on the edge of control chafes at being reigned in and manipulated. The addition of a clever thief who uses disguises and carefully targets her heist victims delivers a fascinating scenario in which three vastly different perspectives of New Orleans life and culture in the French Quarter dovetail with deadly precision.

Renzi's interactions on the street and with the top brass in his department reveal everyone's stake in protecting their reputations, some of which hinder Renzi's search for the sniper. Fleet's characters are realistic and engrossing, her action swift and precise, and her subplots complex, enhancing the atmosphere of treachery and betrayal. Fans of detective novels and crime thrillers will find the tension exquisitely wrought with just the right doses of psychological intrigue, insight, and unexpected twists to keep the story line moving along at a swift pace.

Sniper is delightfully unpredictable. Readers may get into the minds of Renzi, the sniper, and the thief; but won't always know where their lives are heading. Mystery fans who crave surprises will delight in another Renzi saga that turns their expectations upside down, a twisty thriller that weaves a far more sinister tale than that of a lone random sniper." -- Diane Donovan, senior reviewer Midwest Book Reviews​



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