This mystery by Nick Petrie is one I have read before but apparently failed to post; however, it is July's selection for my mystery book group, so I reread it. This is the debut (published in 2016) of his series featuring Afghanistan veteran, Peter Ash--a man who can no longer stand to be indoors without suffering full-blown anxiety attacks. It was nominated for Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards. Set in Milwaukee (Petrie's own city of residence), Ash has come to help the widow of one of his sargeants, Jimmy Johnson, who apparently killed himself. Of course Ash feels guilty that he never visited his former friend and fellow soldier after they came home. He is doing some repairs on the run-down house where Dinah and her two young sons live. His first task is to somehow get a vicious dog out from under the nearly collapsed front porch. In the process, he discovers a suitcase with $400K and 4 blocks of C-4 explosive. Dinah denies all knowledge and furthermore wants nothing to do with the money, even though her house is nearing foreclosure. She introduces Peter to a gangster type, Lewis, who went to school with both Jimmy and Dinah and still carries a torch for Dinah. He also denies knowing anything about the money. But now Peter is determined to find out what Jimmy was doing with the money and the explosives. In alternating chapters, we follow a man in a "black canvas chore coat" as he systematically gathers the materials for a massive fertilizer bomb. Some good guys turn out to be bad guys and some bad guys turn out to be not so bad after all. The storyline and characters illustrate all too well the poor treatment many veterans have had at home. The plotting and pace are solid as are the characters--an engaging read.
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