Review Darrell's in-depth knowledge of military life, coupled with her ability to create solid plots and appealing characters, makes her Max Rydal series consistently entertaining. In his latest outing, military policeman Max faces a puzzler. During a military exercise to prepare new recruits for action in Afghanistan, a young soldier, John Smith, disappears. The consensus among his colleagues is that he's gone AWOL, but his commanding officer, who's fresh from officer training, isn't so sure; he fears something may have happened to Smith, who was universally disliked by those in his platoon. As Max and his colleagues investigate, they find a disturbing story behind Smith's "desertion." As usual, Darrell's story is as much about military routine and the personal lives of her main characters as it is about the actual case, but this winning combination of daily life and mystery makes for enjoyable reading. --Booklist, 1st August 2009 About the Author
