The Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton

Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons on May 17, 2016

Nick Mason has been released from prison twenty years early but he isn’t free. For ten grand a month and a swank Lincoln Park residence in which to live, he is required to be on call. For what, he’s not sure, until he receives his first assignment. As you might expect, he wasn’t freed from prison so he could sell Girl Scout cookies.

Mason just wants to watch his daughter play soccer, which he must do at a distance because his ex-wife won’t let him back into their lives. That humanizes Mason a bit, which is good since he isn’t the world’s nicest guy. Readers who are so inclined can nevertheless cheer for him because his victims are bad guys.

It turns out that there are dirty cops in Chicago (who knew?) but one honest one, Detective Sandoval, wants to get at the guy who owns Mason, a prisoner named Cole. The dirty cops are protecting Cole but Sandoval is willing to use Mason and everyone else to bring down Cole. Mason, of course, is caught in the middle.

The dirty cops are the most interesting (and realistic) aspect of the story. Dirty cops always start out as cops who bend the rules in the belief that their actions are justified because they are putting away criminals. Once the police start to believe that they are above the law, it is a short road from arresting criminals to becoming a criminal. The novel illustrates that point convincingly.

Readers who enjoy stories about anti-heroes will find much to like in The Secret Life of Nick Mason. The story moves quickly, the plot doesn’t overreach, action scenes are credible, and the characters have believable personalities. I’m not sure the ending is as satisfying as I might have liked, but that’s because this is the first of a series and resolving the main storyline would have killed the series. Nevertheless, the moral quandaries Mason is facing make him more interesting than most thriller tough guys. He isn't deep but he isn't a typical tough guy idiot.

The Second Life of Nick Mason is a promising start to a series. I look forward to the next installment.

RECOMMENDED