Dirty Harry: Death in the Air

"Death In the Air" is book #11 in this series, the further adventures of 'Dirty' Harry Callhan, the SFPD Inspector immortalized by Clint Eastwood in five 'Dirty Harry' films. This entry initially finds Harry on the trail of a subway killer who is tossing young women onto the tracks and in the path of oncoming trains in San Francisco's BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system. There is much more to the killings, however, as Callahan traces the murders to a rogue scientist plotting to release deadly germs that would kill millions. Or something like that. Don't worry about following the plot, because it's the action sequences that make this book entertaining, with Harry wiping out enough goons to make John Rambo proud. A car chase with Harry being pursued by the rogue scientist's minions is well done, as is a brutal torture scene. There are also a few references to the films, and supporting characters also appear here, which makes this entry more a part of the Dirty Harry "canon", something that longtime fans will appreciate. The cover is nice, too, with a fine painting of Clint Eastwood (and his ever-present .44 Magnum) gracing the cover.

I picked this book up for a nickle at an outdoor flea market. I had to buy it after reading the opening line, "The girl's body was torn apart as if she were a gold-fish whirling in a blender." It only gets funnier after that.