The Price of Blood

In just two books (Hunter's Moon was his first book), Chuck Logan has established himself as a thriller writer with all the necessary gifts for greatness: a strong and original voice, a formidable narrative engine, and a heart big enough to give life to a wide variety of characters. At the center of the story are Phil Broker, an undercover cop in a small Minnesota town, and Nina Pryce, a career soldier and the daughter of the man who shaped Broker's life in Vietnam. Both are fascinating people, bristling with edges and attitude, and Logan has surrounded them with dozens of other characters of equally surprising depth. Add to that a crackerjack treasure hunt and a trip to present-day Vietnam that reeks of reality and you've got what could well be the best thriller of the year.