Al Hooper

Martial Law in Yakima Al Hooper

Martial Law in Yakima, an action/mystery by Seattle author Al Hooper, is a whirlwind ride to the dark underside of a small town where big city politics, greed and violence are very much the new standard. Martial arts instructor B. J. Reynolds thought he knew Yakima from his growing years there. But when he returns to visit the grave of his own instructor, mysteriously slain a month earlier, Reynolds is drawn into a morass of danger and intrigue. Why do former mob kingpin Vince Aselmo and his enforcers have the run of the town? Are they responsible for the death of Reynolds' instructor? Where is the police presence when murder and intimidation rule the streets? Or are the police part of the problem? For B. J. Reynolds, each day adds to the dangers he can't seem to avoid. But balanced against this are the order and sanity of the martial arts dojo, where he meets Charlene Locke, a local newspaper reporter who changes his life in a direct and dramatic way. Martial Law in Yakima is written with vitality and narrative force. The action sequences leap across the page. But as a character-driven novel, it appeals equally to female readers who demand character-driven stories with strong women in prominent roles.