THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO AUSTIN

Tres Navarre, the anomalous p.i. with a Ph.D in medieval lit, learns from the family banker that he has to leap into the breach yet again as his brother’s keeper. Garrett, severely maimed as the result of a boyhood accident, is a genius at computer programming. He’s also irresponsible, self-destructive, and sure to be irritated by his kid brother’s attempt to impose order on his chaos. Never mind that Garrett’s chaos inevitably, sooner or later, becomes the kid brother’s. Garrett’s embryonic company—Techsan Security Software, seemingly on a direct path to smashing success—is being sabotaged. No one knows exactly how or why, though there are suspects aplenty. Prominent among them is Matthew Peña, the kind of amoral venture capitalist who battens on sitting-duck companies the way Captain Kidd used to eye fat, unprotected Spanish galleons. Complicating Garrett’s life, and Tres’s, is a personal drama exacerbated by what’s happening on the business front. Jimmy Doebler is Garrett’s Techsan partner and best friend. Relations between them have always been volatile—affection and trust oscillating between suspicion and open quarrels—since both men are emotionally explosive. Now the screw is turned one last time when Jimmy’s found murdered, the bullet in his head fired from Garrett’s gun. Someone’s trying to frame his brother, Tres tries hard to convince the Austin cops—and himself.

Competent but unmemorable. Riordan, who left his mark with his hardcover debut (The Last King of Texas, 2000), has to get sharper to reach the front rank.