Just so you know, Zack Taylor is into cathartic violence. There’s nothing zen-like about his martial arts practice. I’ve lost track of the number of times he got hurt (he asked for it), the number of guys he killed (they asked for it) over the course of the three books in this series. To say that Zack has anger management issues would be an understatement, as he’d be the first to admit.

But here’s the great thing about buying the boxed set: you get to watch Zack grow and mellow out a bit, as author Dale Phillips hits his stride in the third book. The characters get richer as Zack lets himself trust people. Foils like the bad cop Lagasse can surprise you, a cynical stuntwoman-turned-script girl leaves Zack’s ex-girlfriend in the shade. I hope she comes back to complicate Zack’s love life, and I wouldn’t mind seeing Theo again. Old Zack’s on a learning curve, and I want to see how he does in the next book. I'm in it for the long haul.