Thad Hanlon tries to balance his dangerous job as a private eye with careful fathering of his 11-year-old son, mindful that Zael Hanlon has already lost one parent: His mom, Marissa, is now on “angel duty.” But when a sniper’s bullets fly across California’s Pismo Beach during the junior surf trial competition, wounding Zael and two of his teammates, Thad vows to deliver vengeance. Those around him don’t agree with his plan; even “quasi-fiancée” and senior detective Naiya Ygnacio withholds information about the investigation from Thad, while his son’s surf team coach, Gev Burian, advises forgiveness over revenge. Meanwhile, the team seems to have found a way to keep safe, eventually practicing under the intimidating protection of a Bakersfield gang boss and some of his gang members. But Thad’s home is viciously vandalized, surf team member Sebastian Giuffrida’s gunshot wound becomes life-threatening, and two more murders take place. Thad and business partner Bri de la Guerra begin to realize that someone from their past may be responsible for all this deadly mayhem. Together, they formulate an audacious plan, unapproved by the police, where they’ll attempt to draw out, entrap, and enact justice on the perpetrator. Jones excels at blending elements that really shouldn’t mesh, such as surfing detectives, kids, violence, and complicated prickly romance, yet somehow everything coheres into an appealingly suspenseful whole. The wide variety of humor he employs is a large part of the book’s success. Jones enjoys deploying dad jokes, such as Thad requesting “diet cola on an IV drip” in the morning, as well as tween-speak (“Gnarly-mongus, my bro!”). Well-rounded, fully dimensional characters are another plus. Coach Gev’s a “surf therapist,” and when Thad has a problem, he gets on the waves and works through his demons. Zael is an especially nuanced character whose love-hate relationship with his father is particularly resonant. The beachy Pismo backdrop completes the winning formula: This is a California where “herd-like” tourists aimlessly wander among surf shops and seafood restaurants, but residents share a deep love for the nearby Pacific Ocean.