Larkin likes speed.  No doubt about it.  But one day, her wild driving catches up with her and she is involved in an accident that changes her forever.  Soon, Larkin finds herself running for her life. 

After three foiled attempts on her life, enter Joe Pike.  Not a bodyguard, he will tell you, but he won’t tell you why.  Ignoring Larkin’s bad manners, he grabs the girl and brings her to a safe house that was arranged for him by friends who had connections.  Unfortunately, someone is tattling, because the safe house is not safe.  Neither is the next.

 It is obvious to Pike that somewhere in the limited group of people who know about Larkin, there is a leak.  A serious one.  So he does the only thing he can do.  He steps outside the loop and contacts only people that he knows he can count on.

He ignores the multiple phone calls of those inside the loop and continues to guard Larkin.  Dead bodies litter in their wake as Pike tries to figure out why Larkin is a target, what she has seen or done.

Chasing down one lead after another, and chasing down Larkin as she decides to frequent a bar during one time he had left her alone, Pike is kept busy.  On the personal front, Pike finds his attitude towards Larkin softens.  Larkin comes to trust Pike and attaches herself to him to the point that she feels in danger if he is not there.

Following leads to figure out why Larkin is in trouble, and why so many people are desperate to find them, the story winds down to an unpredictable ending. 

Crais’ book is utterly compelling.  His characters are rich and unique and the story is told with consummate skill.  Following in the wake of previous bestselling books by Crais, “The Watchman” is sure to join the bestseller’s list.  It is a must read.

Reviewer:  Katie Hines, Muse Reviews

      *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED