The Dime

Starred review from December 12, 2016
Det. Betty Rhyzyk, a tough-as-nails Brooklyn cop transplanted to Dallas and the narrator of historical novelist Kent’s outstanding first crime novel, works undercover in narcotics. At almost six feet tall with flaming red hair and a steady girlfriend, she’s not the norm in Texas. When her latest case, involving notorious cocaine dealer Tomás “El Gitano” Ruiz, goes sour and leaves a stack of bodies, she’s understandably shaken­—and pissed off when the matter is turned over to homicide; Betty isn’t one to let things go. So she and her team, including partner Seth Dutton, continue to work the case on the sly, and it seems the case is working Betty, too, when a nasty present from a crime scene turns up in her apartment, courtesy of a stalker who waltzed in unbeknownst to Betty’s doctor girlfriend, Jackie, and left unnoticed. As the tension grows, Betty isn’t sure that the cartels are responsible, and her sources agree—this looks like something much closer to home and even more dangerous. Kent (The Outcasts) never sacrifices robust characters, or biting humor, during scenes of brutal violence, which, though disturbing, are essential to the rich plot. Agent: Julie Barer, Book Group.

November 1, 2016

After three historical novels, including the best-selling Heretic's Daughter, Kent moves into crime fiction with this gritty series debut. Brooklyn detective Betty Rhyzyk has moved to Dallas for a more balanced life with her girlfriend, and while policing in the East has toughened her up, Betty is still unprepared for the drug trafficking cartel she encounters in the Southwest. Fortunately, the voice of tough cop Uncle Benny in her head helps her make hard decisions as the new leader of a surveillance team. They are ready to take down a major drug dealer when things go very wrong. As Betty discovers how the action in Dallas is connected to a bust she made in Brooklyn, she also must deal with hostile subordinates and her girlfriend's unwelcoming family. VERDICT This fast-paced, adrenaline-producing suspense novel will appeal to Karin Slaughter fans; it will also attract crime fiction aficionados who appreciate Minerva Koenig's Julia Kalas series for its Texas setting and resilient female protagonist with a sixth sense. [See Prepub Alert, 4/26/16.]--Sharon Mensing, Emerald Mountain Sch., Steamboat Springs, CO

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2016
Kent (The Outcasts, 2013, etc.) introduces a tough and engaging new detective in this police thriller set in Dallas.Betty Rhyzyk has transferred to the Dallas PD after beginning her career in Brooklyn, a move that requires pretty major adjustments, especially for an almost-6-foot-tall, red-haired Polish Yankee lesbian. At heart, Betty is just a really good cop, and when she's on the front lines of a drug bust gone wrong, she quickly realizes, as the bodies stack up, that the mystery is much more sophisticated and far-reaching than it seems. The final twist that finds Betty captured and held prisoner becomes a bit overwhelming, but the mystery succeeds as both whodunit and as a deeper character-driven novel. Kent neatly balances the tough talk and high body count of a traditional hard-boiled detective novel, reminiscent of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, with the modern strength of this complex, flawed, and interesting woman. The rapport between Betty and her co-workers, her insecurities and love for her domestic partner, her memories of the New York cop uncle who inspired her to follow in his footsteps--every layer of this novel strikes the right note. And narrating it all is Betty herself, reflective, plainspoken, and alternately incredibly scared and incredibly brave. She knows how to take risks in her career, but can she balance that with a real private life, considering that the model provided by her own parents was dysfunctional in the extreme? Luckily, this seems to be the first in a series, so we'll have a chance to find out. Violent, sexy, and completely absorbing. Kent's detective is Sam Spade reincarnated--as a brilliant, modern woman.

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November 1, 2016
Historical-novelist Kent tries her hand at crime fiction in this first book of a planned series featuring hardened Brooklyn detective Betty Rhyzyk, who has relocated to Dallas. Betty is a terrific character, although the Texas setting seems to have set her up for a bit more personal conflict than necessarytoo New York, too tall, too redheaded, too lesbianbut she bears up with the help of her partner, Jackie, and an interesting assortment of squad mates. Riz deals in equal measure with drug cartels and meth cults, domestic issues and the relentless heat, and the story moves along at a good clip. The violence is graphic but balanced by Betty's wry observations on life in Texas and by several terrific scenes, including one featuring a heroic band of Civil War reenactors. The book was inspired by a short story published in Dallas Noir, and the author has clearly enjoyed filling up an entire novel. A worthy addition to the ranks of strong female detectives, including Carol O'Connell's NYPD sergeant Kathleen Mallory and Jon Land's Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)