While Florida bulges with excellent mystery writers, each has found his or her own niche. Lake Worth author James O. Born has become the go-to guy for action-packed procedurals brimming with well-developed components of the thriller and the adventure novel.

In “Burn Zone” (Putnam, $25.95), Born’s focus returns to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as he continues the story of agent Alex Duarte, who made his debut in last year’s superb “Field of Fire.” Born ratchets up the suspense in an accelerated plot that takes hairpin curves at a breathless rate while also delivering a novel about power, greed and racism. Born also shows how not giving up and acknowledging emotions can make a person stronger.

Born, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, draws on his insider’s view of police work to create a realistic story.

Alex is hoping his next assignment leads to a promotion in the ATF. He and agents from the DEA and FBI are off to New Orleans where a mysterious Panamanian named Ortiz is supposed to be bringing in a huge load of marijuana and some guns. The shadowy Ortiz is a wealthy and vicious man who has never forgiven the United States for its treatment of his country. He has more in mind than a simple drug trade.

What starts as a routine assignment soon evolves into a matter of national security as a white supremacist and a Panamanian colonel become involved. As Alex’s relationships with the two agents assigned to the case changes, he begins to wonder about their loyalties as the assignment takes him cross country.

But “Burn Zone” isn’t just one big chase. Born subtly weaves in Alex’s personal problems, including his attraction to a forensic scientist, adding texture and heart to “Burn Zone.”

Born’s fifth novel showcases his skills at character development and authentic suspense. The laconic Alex is a conflicted hero whose entire life has been as an outsider and this transfers to his job. He grew up in a close-knit Paraguayan family in West Palm Beach – he and his lawyer brother live in an apartment over their parents’ garage – but he never learned to speak Spanish. As a soldier, he was a bomb expert in Bosnia, a role that crops up frequently in his ATF job.

Born is equally careful in shaping villains, showing them as human. Ortiz never gains our sympathy but grabs our attention, especially when he becomes increasingly out of control. Without using gimmicks, Born shows how bad guys can be dumb and dangerous.

Born’s first three novels featured FDLE agent Bill Tasker, who shares Alex’s dedication. “Escape Clause,” the third novel in that series, won the 2007 Florida Book Award.

“Burn Zone” should earn Born more accolades.