The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry

I love the Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry so I thought I might like this unrelated tome, and I did. It starts with a bang--literally. Someone plants a bomb that kills off half of the bomb squad in LA. Dick Stahl, a former member of the bomb squad who is now running a security company, is called back in to help. Dick realizes they are dealing with a very creative bomb maker who really seems to have it in for the bomb squad. He and his team barely manage to stay one step ahead of the bomber--whose activity level is accelerating. Then Dick gets involved with a team member, Diane, which is not a good career move for either of them--and the bomber seems to take a personal interest in Diane, which puts a target on her back.

The bomber himself remains kind of a murky figure throughout the book, though we do figure out a few of the factors that are motivating him. All in all, The Bomb Maker was a compelling read. (And if you're new to Thomas Perry, do check out his excellent Jane Whitefield series about a woman who helps people in trouble disappear and start new lives.)