Brief

Duke Becker, an experienced NYPD investigator, lead s his team to solve the murder of two local cops; before the mysterious attacker kills again.

What We Liked

The author, Gary Kassay, definitely knows a lot about this universe - an ex-cop, he has been involved
in several situations like the ones presented here. His comments about and the description of
specific elements of the procedural police work are excellent. This is a classic cop story, centered on
a solid character, and the structure favors serialized endeavors, with multiple cases. The lead, Duke
Becker, a hirsute yet fair officer of the law, while stereotypical, brings room for development,
character-based narrative arcs, and growth. Comic relief comes in the form of bright, colorful
supporting characters, which enlighten the plot without deviating from the main mystery. It’s a
traditional, run-of-the-mill police procedural, but a really good one at that.
Key points: A successful, classic genre with a large fanbase; a compelling murder mystery; it exploits
NYC in depth; a endearing romance involving the lead character serves as a second storyline; high
levels of detail pertaining police work - written by a former officer.

Synopsis

The story is set in NYC, some years after 9/11. Duke comes from a family of cops - both father and
brother died on the line of duty, giving him enough room to be a man of few words; bitter, but always
reasonable. Two unrelated NYC cops are murdered in the same manner - their throats have been cut
surgically. As the head of the Special Investigations Unit, Duke starts to assemble his team. His
experience around the field grants him shortcuts, saving time meeting the right professional, in a
highly-detailed description of police work.
Jumping around sources and professionals involved in the investigation - and getting involved with
Veterinarian Elizabeth Cunningham, who clarifies details about the evidence - Duke starts to put the
pieces together. The murderer is the daughter of Douglas David Rewl, Debbie Rewl. Douglas was an
ex-cop, dog trainer, the captain in the NYC K-9 unit. Their family suffered significant trauma in the
past, when Doug’s colleagues switched his dog with an untamed, aggressive dog. On that day, Doug
had brought to work his son Patrick and Debbie’s twin-sister Sarah, who was killed by the dog. Doug
had several traumas. Patrick was in a catatonic state for the rest of his life. In the background, a deal
was made with the Mayor and the prosecution. Doug was sidelined with a big pension deal. Debbie
trained a mixed breed of dogs with her father - with revenge on her mind. All the cops murdered were
from the same K-9 unit.
In the final scene, rooms full of mannequins above the ground and a maze type corridor lead to the
murderer - who is scouted by two monstrous mixed dogs. Duke, who has no backup, gets attacked by
the beasts, while doing what he has been told to on these situations - and having his back covered by
a surprise appearance of his partner Jimmy Nova. The story brings us to a happy ending with Duke’s
family and family reunited at his hospital bed, while the doctor gives him an overall state of his
injuries.

About The Author

Gary Kassay was born and raised in Queens, New York. Gary was a X-ray technician and a Canine Officer for the New York City Transit Police Department. After the passing of his wife, Gary moved to North Carolina, working as a Lieutenant for Gilford County. He then moved to Casper, Wyoming, where he is presently a Hostage Negotiator, Polygraphist and Detective. Gary has written four books in the Duke Becker Series, and is currently working on the fifth.