Where It Hurts -- Reed Farrel Coleman

Gus Murphy is the narrator of Reed Farrel Coleman's new novel, and his life is a mess.  The sudden and unexpected death of Murphy's son has led to a divorce and his retirement from the police force.  He's lost his religious faith and his faith in life.  His daughter is "troubled."  He spends his time as a van driver and house detective for a Suffolk County hotel.  

When Tommy Delcamino comes to Murphy to ask him to look into the death of his own son, Murphy's not interested.  Delcamino's a local lowlife who says that Murphy is the only cop who ever treated him decently.  He says the cops won't investigate his son's death because his son wasn't much better than he is.  Not long afterward, just as Murphy has decided to apologize to Delcamino for brushing him off, Delcamino is murdered.  This murder is a mistake, as it energizes Murphy, who begins an investigation.  All his old friends on the force start warning him off.  If you've read any crime novels, you know that something like that just makes investigators more determined to get to the truth.   

Murphy does find the truth, and it's an ugly one.  The case takes on implications way beyond the deaths of two small-time criminals, and it has its roots far back in the past.  Gus Murphy is a complicated character, torn by doubt and self pity, sunk in depression so deep that it doesn't seem likely he'll pull out.  But he does, at least part of the way, and it's obvious that he'll be taking on other cases in the future.  This is good news because Where It Hurts also has some interesting secondary characters, particularly Slava, another hotel employee, whose mysterious past is never revealed.  Slava has talents that prove very useful to Murphy.

If you've read any of Coleman's Moe Prager novels or other books, you know he's an expert storyteller and stylist.  Where It Hurts shows off those strengths, and it's a fine start for a new series.  It hits the stands in January, so be watching for it.