EPISODE 5: THE INFECTION. The man with the inflamed stab wound in the
Bedford specialty clinic is no ordinary patient. His name is Jeremiah Cotton,
agent of the FBI, and he thwarted a biological weapon attack. Because he might
be carrying the pathogen himself, he cannot leave the hospital grounds. Then
one of the other patients dies under peculiar circumstances. Cotton starts to
investigate - looked over by personnel as just a hobby detective and viewed
with suspicion by hospital management. But then there is an attempt on Cotton's
life and things get serious - and personal ...
EPISODE 6: BONY BEACH. Human bones were uncovered by a winter storm on
one of Chappaquiddick's beaches. While examining the remains the police found a
dozen more buried in the sand. Philippa Decker and Jeremiah Cotton from the
FBI's G-Team are on the scene to investigate. They are supported by Dr.
Connors, a retired forensic doctor from homicide. For a long time he had been
convinced that there is a serial killer active on the island, but no one ever
believed him. He asks the two agents to help him find the killer. Just as a
blizzard blows over the island, a dramatic showdown takes place ...
EPISODE 7: THE KUMO CARTELL. John Saito, an American business man of
Japanese descent, lies in his penthouse. He was murdered. All he had on was a
condom. He had two Asian ciphers scrawled on his forehead which together form
the word ?kumo' - the spider. It seems that the man was killed by some poison
during sex games. Saito is not the first person to be killed in this manner.
The G-Team is called upon to help solve the murders. Special Agent Jerry Cotton
and Philippa Decker first suspect the Yakuza, or a similar organized crime
gang, to be responsible for the killings. However, the true meanings of the
homicides go far deeper. The traces lead to a network of dirty business and to
a woman who is more dangerous than a Spider ... and deadlier.
Cotton FBI Collection #2
By Various Authors
Bastei Entertainment
BOORZTB2LK
Price $3.99
258 pages
5-Stars
“Fast,
Pulpy Action.”
This second collection in the Cotton FBI series contains the next
three stories: The Infection” by Linda Budinger; “Bony Beach” by Peter
Mennigen; and “The Kumo Cartel” by Mara Laue.
“The Infection” starts out with Cotton following a suspect with a
suitcase of biological germs. During the capture, Cotton is accidentally shot
by a G-Team sniper. He is ordered into Belfort Private Medical Clinic for a
period of treatment. He’s not there long when he notices things are not on the
up and up. The story is actually a bit slow, and not much action with him
inactive in the clinic.
“Bony Beach” is set on the island of Chappaquiddick near Martha’s
Vineyard, where a mass grave site has been discovered, revealing the bones of
many women of different ages. They appear to be the bodies of missing woman the
Boston police were investigating for years. When one was discovered in
Connecticut it brings the FBI in, but they never find the bodies or killer.
Now, with the mass grave throwing new light on the case, Decker and Cotton are
sent to the island to investigate. Like the first story, this one was also
slow, and a bit boring.
“The Kumo Cartel” has the FBI trailing an assassin who is killing
high-ranking members of the Kumo Cartel, a group of Japanese dealing in gun
smuggling. Evidently the Yakuza hired the assassin to kill the Kumo Cartel
members, but the assassin, a mysterious woman named Yuki, is working for a
Brotherhood of ninjas. She is a kunoichi, a Dragon Lady, trained in ninjutsu
since childhood, and disappears from every trap. The story follows Yuki as she
assassinates her targets, escaping before Cotton and Decker can capture her.
After reading the first two stories I was ready to give this
collection a 4-Star rating, but “The Kumo Cartel” blew the collection up to a
5-Star on it’s own merits. This is one of the best stories so far in the series,
and I’m anxious to read more stories by Mara Laue. Needless to say, Yuki was
not captured and will make a return engagement in the series. For action and
character, Yuki probably deserves her own series. Highly recommended.
Tom Johnson
Detective Mystery Stories
& Night To Dawn Magazine www.bloodredshadow.com
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