Thomas Trang: Dark Neon & Dirt

Shaun Nguyen is a thief, a very good one, he deals in high-end targets. A recent job stealing diamonds went sideways on Figueroa and the only real way to get paid is to sell them back to their owner. It’s in the works.

Another score comes up, bigger target, bigger payoff, bigger risk. He’ll be working with a tech guy Royce who has hero worship written all over him. Nguyen finds that sadly ironic.

LAPD Lieutenant Thomas Monroe has been tracking the thief for years. The latest job that ended so badly has the hallmarks of the guy, and Monroe can feel the chase intensify.

A fledgling love interest in Nguyen’s life is going to complicate things. She used to be with the FBI’s Art Crime Team and this new score, is three African ceremonial masks from Gabon.

Dark Neon & Dirt has all the elements of a good thriller and luckily more than that. Subplots of a long search, kind acts with a motive but still kind, creates fulsome characters. They have history, they have passions, they are driven. Well recommended read.