Dead Red    by Tim O'Mara Order:  USA  Can Minotaur, 2015 (2015) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Tim O'Mara's Dead Red follows Crooked Numbers as the third in his series starring New York City ex-cop Raymond Donne. After an accident on the job, he switched careers. He now works as a school teacher and is in a serious relationship with Allison, a journalist. As the story opens, Ray is in a cab driven by an old friend, Ricky Torres, who used to be a cop as well. Ricky, who recently returned from a tour in Iraq, called Ray at two in the morning, wanting to talk to him urgently. But, when they met, shots riddled the cab and it seemed a miracle that Ray survived. Of course, his uncle (the chief of police and a father figure to Ray) takes charge. While Ray is still concussed and in shock, PI Jack Knight shows up, also an ex-cop and Ray's one-time nemesis. Apparently Ricky was working for him on various cases, including that of a missing teen, Angela Golden, daughter of 'a big shit in PR in the city' who's working on a mayoral campaign. Ray ends up doing some work for Jack as well and searching for Angela. There are further murders as well as stolen guns, and a sniper targets Ray (sitting dead red being a term snipers use). As the violence escalates, Ray uses his nerdy friend Edgar for research. Edgar enjoys being in on the action but it gets a little too up close and personal this time around. I like this series and recommend it to you - Ray is a very credible character with solid relationships with his girlfriend and his uncle Ray, and walks a fine line with what he can tell both of them (reporter and police chief). Looking forward to more. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews