You ever read a book and feel like you’re getting in on the ground floor? For me, that was the case with Sean Doolittle’s third book. You feel as though this guy has a lot more stories to tell, and you can’t wait for them. Take one part Leonard and a big chunk of Westlake, mix them up and you get THE CLEANUP.

Matthew Worth is a cop who pretty much shoots himself in the foot career-wise, when his wife runs off with another cop, one at whom Worth took a swing, with awful consequences: He’s stuck doing security detail at a supermarket during the night shift. While waiting for any potential robber to make an appearance, he becomes friendly with the workers, some of whom refer to him as “Supercop.” But he probably is closest to Gwen, a checkout girl he’s smitten with. But all is not right in Gwen’s world, and that’s what set’s the book in motion. Her boyfriend is a bit violent and his job is not what you would call legal: running drugs and cash payments to and from the Chicago mob a career choice.

When Worth sees Gwen getting hassled by her boyfriend one night in the parking lot, he steps in to see if he can give her a hand. The following day, she shows up all battered, wanting Worth’s help, as she has taken matters into her own hands, forcing Worth to deal with bigger-than-expected problems. But this is only the tip of the story, as not only will Worth do a bit of cleanup, but he’ll also have to deal with two crooked cops who seem to be in the know about Gwen’s boyfriend all too well.

The book feels like a Parker novel from Richard Stark, except with a cop squarely in the Parker role. So if you enjoy that series, grab THE CLEANUP and enjoy the ride, because I believe Doolittle is bubbling just under the national conscious. But with this paperback’s taut and uncompromising story, it won’t last that much longer. Then you can say proudly, “I was there at the start!” Or at least pretty close to it. –Bruce Grossman

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