By Pam Walatka

“The Two Minute Rule” by Robert Crais (Simon and Schuster, 2006) is quite good but not great.

I got confused in the first sentence: “Marchenko and Parsons circled the bank for 16 minutes, huffing Krylon Royal Blue Metallic to regulate the crystal as they worked up their nut.” A few other sentences were confusing, but overall the writing is terse, clear, informed and readable.

The characters are strong, likable and interesting. We follow former bank robber Max Holman, starting on the day he finishes 10 years in prison. As he packs to leave, he finds out that his only child, a policeman, has been killed.

Max’s story is interspersed with the story of former FBI Special Agent Katherine Pollard, his arresting officer. She’s single now and gets involved in helping him solve his son’s murder. Gee, do you think they might fall for each other?

This is crime fiction with literary aspirations, not necessarily achieved. Except for the fact that Max is an ex-con, not a detective, the book falls into the gumshoe or detective genre in that the protagonist proceeds methodically to solve a murder: obtaining an address, going there, learning something, having an adventure - and repeating the cycle until we and the protagonist figure out whodunit and a dangerous confrontation with the perpetrator ensues. Of course, our hero wins.

“Holman had already guessed they would use the carport. The front door was open, but the kitchen probably opened under the arch. The door would be hidden. Holman wasn’t going to let them bring him into the house. He figured he would die in the house. If he was going to die he wanted to die out in the open where someone might see, but Holman didn’t plan on dying that day.”

People who don’t like this sort of book sometimes feel superior to those of us who do, but these books can be fun and relaxing for people who enjoy using their brains on logic puzzles. Along with the protagonist, we try to solve the crime, given the clues that he or she has uncovered.

In logic puzzles, the authors had better keep their logic straight. As with his writing, Crais’s logic is pretty good - acceptable but not great. Overall, the plot is plausible until it gets to the climax, when the perp is mysteriously not cognizant of bank procedures or the two-minute rule.

If you like gumshoes and you are able to forgive imperfection, this is a quick, enjoyable read.

“The Two Minute Rule” is available at Main Street Cafe & Books, 134 Main St., Los Altos.