''Excellent''

THE TIMES

''Crais''s thrilling narrative oozes suspense. There are twists to keep you guessing''

OBSERVER

Two minutes can be a lifetime. But break the two minute rule and it''s a lifetime in jail. Ask anyone on the wrong side of the law about the two minute rule and they''ll tell you that''s as long as you can hope for at a robbery before the cops show up.

But not everyone plays by the rules. When an aging ex-con finally gets out of jail, freedom doesn''t taste too sweet. His son is gunned down in a drive-by shooting. It seems like a random crime, but when the victim is a cop - especially a cop with a con for a father - the motives are never simple.

When the hit is exposed as a revenge killing, and the question of police corruption is raised, it becomes a father''s last duty to clear his son''s name and catch the killer.