Demolition Angel by Robert Crais is a gripping thriller that follows the story of Carol Starkey, an ex-bomb squad technician who is reassigned to the Criminal Conspiracy Section of the LAPD after a tragic incident that left her physically and emotionally scarred. When a fellow bomb technician is killed in what appears to be a routine disarmament, Starkey is assigned to the case. Teaming up with an ATF agent, they investigate a notorious serial bomber known as Mr. Red, leading them to dark corners of the internet and dangerous confrontations. The novel is praised for its suspenseful plot, well-informed technical details, and the tenacity of the main character, despite her personal struggles.
Robert Crais takes a departure from his popular Elvis Cole series to introduce a new protagonist, Carol Starkey, in Demolition Angel. The book is written in a darker tone compared to his previous works, showcasing a complex and flawed heroine who is determined to solve a series of explosions while battling her own demons. The narrative weaves together elements of mystery, thriller, and character-driven drama, keeping readers engaged with unexpected twists, believable characters, and a well-crafted plot that explores the psyche of a bomb technician turned investigator.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
There are medium content warnings for themes of addiction, mental health issues, and graphic descriptions of violence due to explosions.
From The Publisher:
"Crais is at the top of his game, and Demolition Angel delivers the goods. With a bang. . . . It's Silence of the Lambs meets Speed . . . . Crais knows how to press all the right buttons in keeping the story line taut and the action, well, explosive." -San Francisco Chronicle
Carol Starkey is struggling to pick up the pieces of her former life as L.A.'s finest bomb squad technician. Fueled with liberal doses of alcohol and Tagamet, she's doing time as a Detective-2 with LAPD's Criminal Conspiracy Section. Three years have passed since the event that still haunts her: a detonation that killed her partner and lover, scarred her body and soul, and ended her career as a bomb tech.
When a seemingly innocuous bomb call explodes into a charred murder scene, Carol catches the case and embarks on an investigation of a series of explosions that reveal chilling intentions. The bombs are designed expressly to kill bomb technicians. Now, as the one tech who survived the deadliest of blasts, Carol is in for the most perilous fight of her life. . . .
Praise for Demolition Angel
"Terrific . . . explosive . . . [a] high powered thrill ride." - The Wall Street Journal
"Gripping . . . Crais piles on plot twists . . . gathering the separate threads at the end and igniting them like a string of fireworks." - People
"A powerful, self-contained novel of suspense that has the compactness, velocity, and effectiveness of a well-aimed bullet . . . This is a thriller that works on every level, a pivotal work from a crime novelist operating at the top of his game." -Los Angeles Times
"Fascinating and frighteningly believable . . . Starkey is one of the toughest characters to grace the crowded field of thriller books in a long time." -USA Today
"A flammable techno-thriller with the kind of force that knocks out windows." -The New York Times Book Review
"Packs an explosive punch. Though the pace of the book moves like a quick-burning fuse, Crais still takes the time in Demolition Angel to sketch out some memorable characters: Starkey, haunted and hollow-eyed, covering up her pain with a Bogart-tough demeanor; and John Michael Fowles (aka Mr. Red), a sociopath who gets all sorts of information from the Internet without breaking a sweat. . . . Crais keeps things wound so tight that readers will be getting paper cuts in their rush to finish this one." -The Denver Post
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