After her divorce three years ago, Beth Bowman left the

Dallas police force, moved to South Florida and became a

PI. She's found it's a job she loves.

When powerful criminal defense attorney John Hammonds' wife

is murdered and his young daughter kidnapped, Hammonds

insists that Beth be the one to handle getting her back.

Hammonds' past experiences with the local police have him

convinced they will muck up the job and endanger his

daughter's life. The police don't like it, but have no

other choice than to let Beth take the lead.

Realizing she will need some specialized assistance, Beth

puts her trust in good friend/bar owner Bob Sandiford and

his motley crew of homeless comrades for their street-

smarts and knack of invisibility as she investigates clues.

With few leads, it becomes a harried race against time to

save the little girl.

BEST DEFENSE by Randy Rawls is a nice follow-up to

the first book in this delightful series. As a short little

mystery, BEST DEFENSE is a quick read with a returning cast

of quirky characters and a well-devised plot.