THE MAN OFFSIDE

Texas chronicler Gray (Bino, Size) now presents antihero Rick Bannion—an ex-Dallas Cowboy and ex-framed con who for years has had an off-and-on affair with Donna, the wife of his former Dallas teammate Jack Brendy. Can Rick, Donna asks, get Jack clear of a cocaine trafficking charge? Sure—but then Jack's gunned down on the courthouse steps; X-rated pictures of him and a murdered stripper turn up; Muhammed Double-X and his goons are involved up to their diamond cufflinks and mirrored shades; the FBI, the DEA, and the Dallas cops are all leaning on Rick; and Jack's lawyer, Cassel, is in a shady partnership with a mystery man who orders Donna killed. Although savvy readers will identify the bad guy midway through, this Dallas version of Boston's The Friends of Eddie Coyle has memorable characters (including Plates, the small-time forger; and the darkly drawn Breaux, Rick's former cellmate) and punchy, side-of-the-mouth dialogue—adding all the more muscle to Gray's hard-boiled rep.