Chasers    by Lorenzo Carcaterra Order:  USA  Can Ballantine, 2007 (2007) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Chasers is a thriller extraordinaire. The first part of this fast-paced, down and dirty novel introduces the reader to the characters who populate the book. The second half involves ex-cops operating outside the law they had once sworn to enforce, in order to eradicate the baddies they couldn't close down when they wore the uniform. A clutch of five exes – six including four-footed cop Buttercup – roam the streets of New York one step ahead of the drug kingpins, for whom violence is an everyday occurrence that is brushed aside as necessary to keep everyone in line. Boomer, one of the six, lost a beloved niece in one such occurrence - just a bystander who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to the drug lords it was simply the price of doing business. Boomer doesn't agree with that philosophy and gathers the others (who all have their own agendas) to join him in eliminating even a small portion of the drug trade. They all realize their actions will not eliminate drugs from their city – but might put a dent in the amount of illicit trafficking. Calling their disparate group Apaches, they take out their sworn enemies with no more emotion than if they were eliminating an influx of locusts. This novel is not for the faint-hearted. It's raw with killings that boggle the mind. The number of bullets that fly should have killed more than those counted, but maybe it's realistic. Every bullet cannot be propelled with pinpoint accuracy. The final dialogue tells the reader that there will be a sequel to Chasers. As soon as I recover from this episode, I'll look out for the next. 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