L.A. Rex

On a recent flight into Los Angeles, I read Will Beall's novel L.A. Rex. It's a thoroughly enjoyable read and helped pass the hours of the transcontinental flight.

Ben Halloran, a fresh-faced rookie, shows up to his first day on duty as part of the LAPD's 77th Division in the heart of South Central. He's assigned to partner with Miguel Marquez, an old school cop who is respected and feared in the way that dinosaurs are, just before their extinction. The two cops are tossed into the middle of a brewing gang war. And there's much more to Halloran that appears at first glance.

The author, Beall, is an active duty cop in the 77th Division. So, he knows what he's talking about in L.A. Rex. The language and slang of the cops and the street is interesting and the characters are intriguing in this debut novel.