Nine Lives Too Many
By John F. Rooney

     In his debut novel, John Rooney introduces Detective Sergeant Denny Delaney who has just been suspended for drinking on duty. He's separated from his wife, Monny, and that doesn't look very promising. Now suddenly a bomb is exploded in main concourse of Grand Central Station...his turf. Hundreds are either killed or maimed, and Denny himself barely escapes death. The FBI labels the incident a suicide bombing, but Denny and his co-worker, Terry, find proof in the tapes from the surveillance cameras that the bomber walked away unscathed.

    Felix the Cat is an anti-American, anti-Israeli, quasi-Muslim, fanatic who fancies himself a playwright. He's planning a series of unexpected terrorist events to coincide with the depletion of his nine lives as written into his screenplay.

      This is an unsettling terrorist novel, but also the personal story of a conflicted police detective with a chronic hangover. After Nine-Eleven, Denny had been on TDY with the FBI, and he has made a connection to that duty and the bomber. The FBI seems to have an unexplained agenda, and by threatening to reveal what he knows, Denny gets reinstated to FBI duty so he can work the case.

     Rooney explores the psychology of a terrorist who is willing to bomb innocents in the name of his cause, and the impact of these terrorist acts on the American public as they react to these senseless multi-killings. How can this happen? Why do they do it? Rooney explores these questions in the nine lives of "Felix the Cat." Through multiple viewpoints, Rooney shows us the world through the eyes of the good and the evil, with most of the story being told from the perspective of police officer, Denny Delaney. His personal struggles are nearly overwhelming, but the urgency of the threats, and the horror of the strikes provides an incentive for Delaney to overcome his failings. Denny always seems to be just minutes behind Felix, and even unknowingly passes him in the crowds, so close they could touch.

    Our worst fears come true, this story is an exciting adventure with a strong social commentary that kept me reading late into the night. Rooney's characters are complex and all too real, and the situation is today's headlines in a vivid New York setting. This is to be the first in a series of Dennis Delaney novels. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Denny gets into next. Keep up the great story telling, John Rooney.