The Boys from Santa Cruz-Jonathan Nasaw

The Boys from Santa Cruz
Jonathan Nasaw
Atria, Feb 16 2010, $25.00
ISBN 9781416591788

In 1985, FBI special agent E.L. Pender was working a serial killer case in Marshall City, California when he and others went after Luke Sweet, maker of snuff films and his Trannie significant other, Teddy Swantzer. Neither Luke nor Teddy survived the police assault.

However, Sweet’s teenage son at the time Little Luke lived knowing he will always be ostracized as the son of a serial killer as he is locked away in an asylum. Now a decade later, twenty-five years old Little Luke has a list of those who he blames for his misfortunate life; they must die. When the asylum explodes, everyone assumes Little Luke is dead except Pender, who fears the son is following the father with the recent murder of his grandparents. Pender returns to Santa Cruz, but a serial killer Asmador is following Little Luke’s list, murdering people on it; Pender knows he is on it.

The newest Pender FBI thriller (see Twenty-seven Bones, The Girl He Adored and When She Was Bad) is a super tale that grips the audience from the opening act when Luke calls Little Luke to tell him sh*t is coming as the FBI was closing in on him. From there the tale never misses a beat as a decade later the apparent retaliatory murders begin. The suspense is incredible making it nearly impossible to put down The Boys from Santa Cruz as Pender stalks his stalker.

Harriet Klausner