"We were eye to eye and the other fellow just blinked." Dean Rusk

In one of New York's finest steakhouses, Bruno Torenzi, kills attorney, Vincent Marcozza, by cutting out his eyes. Torenzi then shoots his way out of the restaurant, killing two New York cops.

At a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels had been about to interview fallen New York Yankee player, Dwayne Robinson. Robinson was going to set the story straight about his use of drugs.

After the shooting Nick returns home and plays the tape of the interview he had started with Robinson. He's shocked when he hears the voice of the killer say, "I have a message from Eddie, Justice is Blind."

Nick knows that the word is that Marcozza was a longtime lawyer for reputed Brooklyn mob boss Eddie "The Prince" Pinero. The word is that Pinero ordered the hit because Marcozza failed to get Pinero off on a loansharking charge which resulted in a prison sentence.

Nick takes his evidence to Manhattan District attorney, David Sorren, who is also the fiance of Nick's ex-girlfriend.

Things happen in machine gun fashion. Bruno Torenzi is celebrating with a high priced prostitute when she attempted to scam him. Her two brothers pushed their way into the room and attempted to rob, a person who they mistook for just another nervous john. Torenzi isn't a hit man by mistake, he's upset at being set-up and turns the table on the two brothers.

There is the usual colorful descriptions as police "barked" and killers have "twisted grins" and a detective tells Nick, about the evidence he has brought, that Eddie Pinero is "...sick and twisted and kills with little provocation and less remorse." However, the detective didn't think that Nick had anything to worry about.

The pacing is well done and it is as if we hear heroic music in the background as Nick moves through the story, meets challenges and overcomes them. He's a character like a person's younger brother, brave but in need of protection.

James Patterson and Howard Roughan have written a stimulating novel with a satisfying plot that moves at a blistering pace. We follow Nick's steps as he bungles his way into solving the mystery. The dialogue is first rate and humorous. Overall, an enjoyable and fast read.