A strong second outing for forensic accountant/shaggy neo-noir hero Marty Hench.

Doctorow writes with a passionate point of view and a strong social conscience. He is mad about the private prison industry and its abuse of human rights in the name of profit, and he illustrates how the whole ugly scam plays out in a thrilling and grounded narrative.

Ever the booster, he can’t resist throwing some book recommendations into the story, but his enthusiasm for them is so genuine that it comes across as ingratiating. There’s only one recipe in this one (after what felt like at least three in Red Team Blues), and it’s presented in a way that moves the plot forward so it feels less like a distraction this time around.