Brought in Dead

Written by Jack Higgins, but originally published under the name of Harry Peterson, this Nick Miller series features an apparent suicide by a young girl who has gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. When Nick and his colleague Brady finally identify her, she is Joanne Craig, a gifted painter and daughter of Colonel Duncan Craig. Joanne is a quiet, well mannered dutiful girl but changes completely upon coming into contact with one Max Vernon a rich thug & drug dealer. Under Vernon, Joanne becomes a drug addict herself, becomes pregnant and when Vernon throws her out, she goes and commits suicide. The judge and jury let of Max Vernon on no evidence basis. But the father who is an ex-military operative and an electrical engineer to boot, seeks revenge for the death of his daughter. There is a nice cat and mouse game being played between Max, Nick and Craig, with Craig using his intelligence to kill one of his Vernon's agents after another.

Jack Higgins, whose real name is Harry Peterson, is of course a well known author for his fast paced crime thrillers. This is my second book of him, first one being "The Last Place God Made"