FICTION

Gumshoe

by Rob Leininger
Oceanview. Nov. 2015. 384p. ISBN 9781608091638. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9781608091539. M
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When IRS agent Mortimer Angel decides to switch careers and become a private investigator, he envisions himself a modern-day Sam Spade spouting smart repartee, meeting gorgeous girls, taking in plenty of action, and solving murders. But, aside from the gorgeous girls he's met, including one mysterious woman who breaks into his house, appropriates his bed, and leaves him notes, the only thing Angel finds in his first two days on the job are severed heads; three of them to be exact. Two belong to the mayor and district attorney of Reno; the third happens to be his nephew and new boss, Gregory. Realizing that his inexperience as a gumshoe is a major drawback in solving the murders, Angel hires experienced PI Jeri DiFrazzia, who is herself gorgeous, to help.
VERDICT The tone of Angel and DiFrazzia's repartee recalls Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles of the "Thin Man" series. Angel's cavalier but determined attitude is offset by DiFrazzia's all-business demeanor, making them a likable and effective team. The somewhat implausible ending does not diminish the reading enjoyment. Should Angel and DiFrazzia morph into a series, mystery readers will be well served.
Reviewed by Edward Goldberg, Syosset P.L., NY , Sep 15, 2015
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