Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs

In the first book, Tempe's best friend forever is actually killed. In book two, her sister, Harry, is nearly a victim. This time it is her nephew, Kit, Harry's son, who is nearly killed.

Nineteen year old Kit has been dumped on Tempe by her oblivious sister and his father who may have been at the point of homicide himself. Nineteen year olds can have that effect on their elders. Of course, no one bothered to tell Tempe that his father is furious because the kid has picked up a drug conviction and refuses to see the light. He has also picked up a habit of hanging out with members of motorcycle gangs.

Motorcycle gangs are the main focus here. The opening scene is of a nine year old child lying on the autopsy table, the victim of a couple of stray bullets in an ongoing gang war.

This gang war stretches geographically from South Carolina to Canada and historically over a period of several decades. We get a broad view of its brutality both in individual actions and the group mentality. Gruesome stuff.

On the personal front, Tempe comes (again) to a tentative truce with Detective Inspector Claudel. And Ryan has gone undercover. Birdie, at least, manages to stay out of trouble after being ferried to Montreal from Charlotte by aforementioned nephew and his father because he hates to fly. Katy is on some sort of oceanographic expedition in the south Pacific and is well out of the way for this one.