NYPD Red 2 opens with a group of young people burning their clothes and re-living a murderous evening, which is followed by a funeral and Mafia drama. The language is coarse and the emotions are very raw. Then Zach Jordan is called to Central Park. A body was found on the merry-go-round. He’s greeted by two detectives posing as homeless men. They want to know why NYPD Red is interested in this body. Jordan explains he has spent the night looking for Evelyn Parker-Steele. Her father is one of Manhattan’s richest. Evelyn is (was) the campaign manager for the woman running against Mayor Spellman. Unfortunately, Evelyn is the most recent victim of the Hazmat Killer. The media labeled the killer because the victims are found in Tyvek coveralls. Another thread mixed in the storyline is about Rachel O’Keefe, a young mother accused of killing her daughter. Court room drama is followed up by an outraged community.

Patterson and Karp intertwined these threads brilliantly. Keeping up with the shifting points of view is no problem. We witness some characters carrying their burdens and making bad decisions and the main character, Jordan and MacDonald, balance personal lives with politics, money and murder. The result is an intense read you won’t soon forget.

Edoardo Ballerini and Jay Snyder narrate the audio version of NYPD Red 2. They breathe life into this diverse cast of characters and reveal the many layers of New York. What a listen. Ballerini and Snyder work well as a team. They also pair up in the narration of the recently released The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver.