Baby Shark, Kristin Van Dijk, got her nom de plume by learning from her father to be a top flight pool player. And that talent has played a prominent role in prior novels in the series, but none in the current installment, especially since she became a full-fledged partner as a PI with Otis Millett. They make for a good team, and they combine their seat-of-the-pants talents to pursue an unusual and resourceful maniac.
It begins when Otis is called by Lt. Carl Lynch to visit the morgue to identify his estranged wife, Dixie Logan, known as the Dallas Firecracker in the Texas striptease circuit. Apparently she and a boyfriend were shot by a gang of bank robbers with whom she worked but were conned out of the loot. This leads the pair to work undercover with the Dallas police to find and attempt to capture the gang and their boss, leading to a merry chase and a series of dangerous situations for Kristin.
Baby Shark is one tough cookie, a female worthy of James Bond and Mickey Spillane rolled into one woman’s curves. She’s hard-boiled, but is able to express her feminine attitudes with aplomb and wise-cracks. This latest entry in the series (three novels have preceded “Jugglers”) continues an entertaining and well-written string, and it is recommended.
