THE GOOD DRIVER

In James’ thriller, a veteran truck driver suspects there’s something shady afoot at the transport company that employs him.

The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, during a delivery to West Virginia, trucker Max Doren determines that his rig needs repair. When he leaves it at a mechanic’s shop, thieves open the trailer and steal thousands of dollars’ worth of cargo. Rick Barnes, operations manager at Buffalo Bill Transport, lays the blame on Max, prompting BBT’s owner to suspend him without pay. Rick already seems to have it out for Max; he assigns Max’s truck to someone else, delays his compensation, and sends him on a run that Rick surely knows has been canceled. The theft may be related other suspicious occurrences unfolding at BBT, from missing goods to paperwork that’s bizarrely unreliable. Max and a few of his friends, including diesel mechanic Axel Thomas and fellow driver Randy Offield, decide to investigate and see if someone inside BBT is up to no good. James’ slow but effective pacing will draw readers in as Max’s gauntlet of frustrating obstacles grows potentially dangerous. The protagonist rolls with the punches and remains levelheaded while Rick, who periodically takes the narrative reins, is decidedly unpleasant. In the main, though, the cast comprises an amiable bunch, matching the tone of this relatively breezy story with mostly implied violence and no profanity in sight. The author provides straightforward descriptions, crisp details, and snappy dialogue, though the exchanges occasionally read as stiff; for example, Randy, who tags along with Max, says, “I’ll sit in your passenger seat. Let’s go for a ride to the customer and see this receiver.” Mysteries come to light throughout the novel, including the reason behind Rick’s apparent animosity for Max.

A laudable hero steers this unhurried but wholly engrossing crime story.