Die Easy [by] Zoë Sharp
New York; Pegasus Crime [2013]
978-1-60598-400-1; $25.95
Charlie Fox and her boss, and former lover, Sean Meyer, are working for a wealthy American businessman, who will be hobnobbing with other wealthy businesspeople, politicians, and sports stars at a fundraiser for cleaning up in the aftermath of Katrina. There is noticeable tension in the group, partially because of all the bodyguards who are there, exercising their muscles and strutting in front of each other, with weapons only slightly out of sight.
There is tension between Charlie and Sean, too. He had been her Sergeant when she had been in the British Army. She had washed out finally, after 4 men in her unit gang-raped her. Sean had not known about that until later, and he didn’t totally understand what it meant. One of those men, Vic Morton, is also a bodyguard for one of the principles in this story, and he takes many opportunities to harass Charlie and show her up as being incompetent.
In most cases, Sean would have probably noticed, but Sean has not been himself lately. He was shot and in a very long coma, from which he is not completely recovered. It has affected him physically and mentally. He is not as sharp as he once was. He’s not “on top of things.” His memory is shot full of holes. He has incomplete memories of his army days. He knows that he knows Charlie, but he doesn’t seem to comprehend that he had quite an intimate relationship with her, including having fathered a child with her. He has a relationship with Vic which is also piecemeal – he remembers him from the army, but is not sure about him as a bodyguard, just as he unsure about Charlie. This becomes extremely important, as it turns out.
The first time things seem to go wrong is when Charlie and Sean’s principle – the man they are body guarding – gets into a helicopter for a flyover the city of New Orleans to see the still extant damage. They are actually shot at by a RPG, which destroys the tail rotor, causing the helicopter to autogyro into the ground, where it breaks up and a fire starts. One of the bodyguards gets killed. All of the living people do get out of the plane in a timely fashion, even though some of them are very badly hurt. They find out that those after them are locals – the person threatening them unless they give themselves up to him has a Cajun accent!
Later, there is a real scene: hijackers take over the paddle wheel casino party boat they are on, separating the bodyguards from their clients. Others come on board after the hijacking, with plans involving C4, although half of their supply has been surreptiously dumped overboard by Charlie, as she fights the hijackers with two of the principles and Sean behind the scenes. The whole scene makes quite a splash in the papers, when the boat is grounded when the blowing up is compromised. A lot of people are killed or injured, and Charlie gets a much clearer picture of both Sean and Vic. Fortunately, Sean gets a clearer picture of Charlie and Vic as well, which is why things come out as well as they do in the end.
This is truly one of my favorite series, and Charlie is in great form in this book. She is so clearly in command of everything because of the training she has had from Sean, and her inner dialogue as she hopes for his recovery – and to what extent it will be, is just great. Highly recommended. ~ lss-r
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My book.
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