"Dying on the toilet was not how I envisioned leaving this world." That is the first line of Mark Mynheir's novel, THE CORRUPTIBLE. That has to be one of the best opening lines out of the thousands I've read. Yes, the story begins in a men's public restroom, immediately creating an undeniable page-turning quality.

Ray Quinn spent years as a homicide detective until a serious gunshot wound forced him into early retirement. Now he owns and runs the Night Watchman Detective Agency with his young "sidekick" Crevis, who is training to become a cop.

Ray is hired by multi-millionaire investor Armon Mayer to find ex-cop Logan Ramsey. Ray knows Logan personally and has heard that Logan has turned to the dark side, so Ray is not surprised when Mayer informs him that Logan has stolen some of Mayer's clients' personal and investment information. Armon wants that information back and insists Ray is the right man for the job because of his former connections with the police department. What should have been an easy case gets complicated when Logan turns up dead in a seedy motel room. Now Ray not only needs to find the stolen information, he winds up in the middle of Logan's murder investigation.

THE CORRUPTIBLE is written in first person and reads like an old-fashioned crime novel or television show like "Dragnet" or "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Ray Quinn is a likable guy despite his cynical attitude, aversion to Christians, and the fact that his best friend "Jim" happens to come in a bottle and have the last name "Beam." But Ray's cynicism is bathed in sarcasm and wit. His distaste for Christians is being gently confronted by Pam, a genuine Christian woman who ministers to Ray sparingly through words and lavishly through her actions. And by book's end, his alcoholism comes to a head and is dealt with in a satisfactory manner.

It may seem odd that a Christian novel has a main character who is not a Christian at all, especially since there is still no conversion by the end of the second book in the series. That said, Ray's issues relating to God are definitely addressed. This leaves the door open for major faith developments in the next installment.

I did not read the first Ray Quinn mystery, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, but it really did not affect my enjoyment of THE CORRUPTIBLE. Yes, there were references to past events, but nothing complicated or confusing. The plot contains plenty of twists and turns, keeping me guessing along the way. Mynheir's crime knowledge is superb as he's drawn on his own personal experience in law enforcement --- Mynheir has worked as an undercover narcotics agent, a SWAT team member, and a Criminal Investigations detective.

The dialogue is what shines in this novel. The writing is witty and crisp, and the characters are fun and original. Crevis was an enjoyable "sidekick." Armon Mayer, the wealthy investor, was a mysterious germ-a-phob, and the various suspects all had unique quirks of their own. Ray's good friend, Pam, was most endearing, as she offered a true picture of Christianity in action. Evidently, Pam was introduced in the first book as the sister who hired Ray to find out who murdered her brother. Eventually I would like to go back and read THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, not only because I enjoyed THE CORRUPTIBLE, but to see how Pam's character developed. Perhaps we can expect a romantic relationship between Ray and Pam to bud in Book Three.

Overall, THE CORRUPTIBLE is a fast-paced read with a good plot and great characters. If your preference is crime fiction, you'll do well to check out this series. Personally, I'm eager to see Ray's transformation from a non-believing alcoholic to a Christian P.I. His detective agency is doing okay so far. I can only imagine the success he'll achieve with God on his side.