Zero to the Bone

Nina Zero, who once ran an errand for a boyfriend that accidentally led to blowing up the Los Angeles airport, landing in prison, and discovering her true kick-ass nature, has achieved a precarious stability in the latest volume of this terrific series. She earns a living taking pictures for a sleazy tabloid, shares her small apartment with a big-hearted, toothless Rottweiler, and stays on the good side of her parole officer. On the biggest night of her life - the first gallery showing of her semi-serious photography - there is another, more gruesome opening night. An anonymously delivered computer disc turns out to contain crudely-filmed S&M erotica in which a drugged woman appears to be strangled to death. Underneath the bondage gear, Nina recognizes the distinctive tattoo of her friend Christine. Nina sets out to find out what happened to her friend, taking us on a tour of the weird side of LA, complete with regression therapists, phone sex workers, and B-movie producers. Along the way, she discovers that Christine is not the only victim. She also learns more about herself as she tries to take care of a street-wise niece, get acquainted with her violent father, and get involved with a cop who views the world through the same nocturnal black-and-white lens as her camera. The conclusion is exhilarating and heartbreaking at the same time. I love this series and am sad this is the final volume in the series. Nina Zero is one of the most intriguing characters in contemporary crime fiction.