Fans of the lone-tough-guy/gal genre have lots of heroes and heroines to choose from: Jack Reacher, Spenser, Doc Ford, Caitlin Strong … the list of fictional characters to love and admire is truly astonishing.

But have you ever wondered what a real world “grit-lit” hero’s life is like? Get thee to your favorite source of books – library, book store or the ethereal cloud—and check out “Betrayal” by Robert Fitzpatrick and Jon Land. (Tor/Forge. $27.95 hardcover. $14.99 trade paperback. 320 pages. ) www.jonlandbooks.com

From the first line, “You want a bullet in the head?” Betrayal explodes off the page.

The true story of FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick, “Betrayal” was co-written with bestselling novelist Jon Land. (Land’s touch is apparent throughout the book. Author of more than 30 grit-lit novels including the best selling Caitlin Strong series, Land’s style makes “Betrayal” a can’t put down bestseller).  Fitzpatrick pulled himself out of the slums to become a stellar FBI agent pursuing incredibly powerful gang lords like Whitey Bulger. Bulger was wanted throughout the USA. And at considerable risk to himself, Fitzpatrick brought him to justice.

“Betrayal” is a real-life, grit-lit story with a surprising twist. Fitzpatrick was not just worried about being killed by monsters on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. The worst danger he face was from other members of the FBI.

J Edgar’s organization was plagued by the same bureaucracy, politics and backstabbing you experience everyday in your job. But, unless you’re a cop, in the military or made some unusual life choices, your coworkers don’t carry guns. These “good guys” do! And they know killers and crooks who owe them favors. Guys who wouldn’t blink at popping a cap in Fitzpatrick.

A thrilling look at the life of a law enforcement hero.

“Dark Revelations” by Anthony E. Zuiker with Duane Swierczynski. (Dutton $26.95, 352 pages, hard cover.) www.level26.com

A new grit-lit discovery you will love. “Dark” is the third book in the Steven Dark trilogy by Anthony Zuiker. You might know Zuiker. He created CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. And brings the same story telling fire power to “Dark.”

From page 1.

It is well-known among law enforcement personnel that murderers can be categorized as belonging to one of twenty-five levels of evil, from the naïve opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture-murderers who inhabit Level 25.

What almost no one knows is that a new category of killer has emerged. And only one man is capable of stopping them.

His targets:

Level 26 killers.

His methods:

Whatever it takes.

His name:

Steve Dark.

Readers’ meet you new grit-lit hero, Steve Dark.

“Hard Target” by Howard Gordon. (Simon & Schuster, $25.99, 274 pages, hard back.) www.howardmgordon.com.

Wow! Another grit-lit worthy tough guy character I’ve never read! YIPPEE.

Unlikely hero, Gideon Davis is settling into a quiet life as an academic when he discovers a potential terrorist attack on the good ol’ US of A. But the FBI doesn’t believe him because the source of his intell is an unreliable meth-head member of a white supremacist group. (TIP TO THE FBI—there are no reliable meth heads.)

With the help of his brother, Tillman, Gideon exposes a plan to kill not just the President and the VP, but also a whole bunch of prominent US leaders.

Given the state of leadership in the USA right now, you could reasonably be cheering for the bad guys. (Come on Washington agree on some reasonable actions so we can get our collective rears in gear. We’re American’s that’s what we do. Stop all this back sniping tom foolery it just makes us voters want to wretch—and now we return to your regularly scheduled column). “Target” roars to an exciting conclusion that will leave you waiting, impatiently, for Gordon’s next thriller.