WHAT YOU BREAK by Reed Farrel Coleman

© by Gerald So | 2:30 p.m.

Book design: Meighan Cavanaugh

What You Break finds retired Long Island cop-turned-hotel detective Gus Murphy six months past the events of Where It Hurts, more settled into the new life he's made after his son's death. That is until he takes a meeting with millionaire Micah Spears, a friend of Gus's friend Father Bill Kilkenny. Despite taking a strong dislike to Spears, Gus agrees to look into the murder of his adoptive granddaughter, Linh Trang.

Also, that night, on a hunch, Gus trails his friend and coworker Slava to Brooklyn, where he sees Slava visit a man and leave shortly before the man is gunned down.

What You Break is a rumination on the men's pasts right in Coleman's wheelhouse. Series-wise, Reed is making the most of his chance to portray a new protagonist against the backdrop of today's Suffolk County, where he lives. An added treat for me was Gus's visit to Nassau County's Hofstra University, where Linh Trang Spears was a student, also my alma mater and where Reed and I taught at different times.

Reed's original contract was for two Murphy books. I see no reason to stop there.