Reviews of Cold Frame

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Deutermann's latest thriller looks at the relationship between police and government agencies, and what happens when they collide. Washington, D.C., Metro detective Av (for Average) Smith is on the outs with his superiors, having never done anything to distinguish himself (hence the nickname). When a government official dies mysteriously in a restaurant, Smith lands the case. Soon another murder occurs, and he learns that both victims were members of a committee known as DMX. Any pursuit inside the inner workings of this organization is met with resistance, making Smith himself a target. The investigation itself and the insider information it reveals prove fascinating, though Smith himself is a bit of a cipher (the downside of building a thriller around an "average" protagonist). The ending, however, is terrific, more than justifying thriller fans' investment in a novel that offers a compellingly realistic view of counterterrorism.
      - Jeff Ayers