“Blackout” (Minotaur), by David Rosenfelt
A cop literally loses his mind chasing a killer in “Blackout,” David Rosenfelt’s latest thriller.
Police officer Doug Brock has been pursuing criminal mastermind Nicholas Bennett for years, but hasn’t been able to get the evidence he needs to put him away. Brock’s life unravels when Bennett kills someone close to him.
Brock is suspended, but he continues to dig for the elusive proof he needs. Brock’s former partner Nate Alvarez receives a phone call from Brock claiming to have found something big that the FBI needs to handle. Then gunshots are heard. The phone call is traced to a hotel where Brock is found; he’s been shot and is barely alive. He has a severe head injury, and when he awakens, he has no memory of the past 10 years.
Brock should keep a low profile while slowly regaining his memory, but he feels the need to actively seek the truth. He was lucky to survive the first time, but pursuing the answers this time could end his life.
Rosenfelt avoids the standard amnesia cliches and focuses on character instead of memory flashes when it’s convenient to the story. How does someone adjust in a technological world while also essentially starting over? The case becomes almost an afterthought because Brock and his colleagues are so richly portrayed. When the future does collide with Brock and his lack of memory, readers will want to be there to see what happens. Jeff Ayers, AP
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