The Ever-Running Man

Starred review from May 7, 2007
A
fter 25 books in 30 years, the novelty of a female private eye such as MWA Grand Master Muller's Sharon McCone has worn off, but McCone has only gained luster since her original appearance in Edwin of the Iron Shoes
(1977). The San Francisco investigator is in top form as she unravels a case that may unravel her marriage. When Renshaw & Kessell International, a maverick corporate security firm dealing in contingency plans for kidnappings and hostage situations, hires McCone after a series of bombings has damaged its facilities, she starts by looking into the checkered pasts of the firm's co-owners. Readers may find the collateral damage that threatens to tear apart McCone's private life as involving as the search for the bomber, who soon moves from demolition to murder. Muller delivers the complete package, an absorbing mystery with a familiar and evolving cast and enough grit to give it satisfying substance.

July 1, 2007
Sharon McCone's husband is part owner in RKI, a security company that has been targeted by an arsonist. The company hires McCone to find out why, and the trail leads to the shadowy pasts of Hy and his two partners. During the intense investigation, things get very personal and ugly. Once again, Muller, who has authored 24 books in this series, has tied past actions to the present in an unusual way. Her main characters may have grown more affluent, but they are also more understanding of human failings; as Muller illustrates perfectly, age brings wisdom. Muller lives in Northern California with her husband, Bill Pronzini. [See also Muller's "Somewhere in the City: Selected Stories", reviewed below.Ed.]

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2007
Someone is bombing the offices and safe houses of REI, a security firm headquartered in San Francisco, and Hy Ripinksy, one of the partners in the firm, hires Sharon McCone to investigate. A shadowy figure, dubbed the ever-running man, has been seen leaving each location where there has been an explosion. When another device is detonated at REIs home office, a security guard dies, and McCone narrowly escapes. Her investigation leads to the discovery of corruption and other dark secrets in the past of the firms partnersrevelations that may jeopardize her marriage, but McCone continues to probe, convinced that both her own and her husbands lives are at stake. Relatively few long-running mystery series succeed in dramatizing a heros subtle changes over time, as he or she moves from one phase of life to another, but Mullers Sharon McCone novels excel in this regard (as do her husband Bill Pronzinis Nameless Detective novels). The marital tensions, as well as the suspenseful plot and the scenic locations along the California coast, make this one a surefire hit with McCones many fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)