Crime In Brief: The Inside Ring<br></br> Vanish<br></br> Mr Clarinet

There's an attempt on the life of the United States president. It fails. But his best friend and a secret service agent are killed. Later, a man with a grudge against the government kills himself and leaves a written confession. Then the Secretary of Homeland Security receives an anonymous letter purporting to be from another agent and saying that The Inside Ring (the president's personal security) has been compromised.

Joe DeMarco, a fixer for the speaker of the House of Representatives, is told to investigate. Not the best job in the world, as Joe goes up against the FBI, the CIA and just about every other agency in the country and they don't like him being involved in their world. Mike Lawson writes a mean thriller and has a sense of humour that hurts. I loved this one.

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen (BANTAM £12.99)

Down in the morgue something stirs. A dead woman comes back to life, much to the surprise of Boston pathologist Dr Maura Isles. The woman is

rushed to hospital where she goes postal, steals a security guard's gun and shoots him dead, then takes a bunch of hostages including heavily pregnant homicide detective, Jane Rizzoli. What else is wrong with this picture? Firstly, the guard doesn't work for the hospital and secondly, he was shot with two bullets from one cartridge. A duplex round designed to to do maximum damage. Thirdly, the doctor who was in the room at the time doesn't exist. Weird, and it gets worse. Gerritsen's fine novel is indeed a puzzle wrapped up inside an enigma. Hot stuff!

Mr Clarinet by Nick Stone (MICHAEL JOSEPH £12.99)

Ex-cop Max Mingus is doing seven years for manslaughter in Rikers Island. When he gets out, he plans to go round the world with his wife. Then she dies just before his release. Now he has nothing to live for. But a rich man offers him the job of finding his son, Charlie, who has been missing for three years, for a lot of money. But the job is in Haiti, a very bad place, especially as a man Max put on death row is waiting for him there, and it's kill or be killed. Bad voodoo! And who is Mr Clarinet? You really don't want to know unless you have a very strong stomach. This is a hotshot debut novel, take my word. If you trust my judgement, buy it.