So what is it
about Boston that so many great crime fiction series are set there? Carlotta
Carlyle encounters lawbreakers while she drives her taxi and Jane Ryland and
Kent Murdock seem to only report on crime scenes. John Francis Cuddy, Spenser, Jeff
DiMarco, Jane Rizzoli, Tom Bethany, Max Bittersohn, and Angela Matelli all
investigate an assortment of felonies in their respective Boston neighborhoods,
while Brady Coyne provides legal legerdemain to Bostonian blue bloods. And
that’s just a few of the mystery and thriller series about the historic city,
which seems to be caught in a permanent crime wave. We can add to the list
Shane Cleary, whose fifth adventure by Gabriel Valjan will be released by Level
Best Books on March 12th.
Jimmy B, a
psychopathic criminal who terrorized South Boston, appeared at Shane’s door,
which boded ill for Shane. Instead, Shane was stunned to learn that Jimmy
wanted him to find his black poodle, which was missing. Shane never figured
Jimmy as an animal lover but since no one says no to Jimmy and lives, Shane agreed
and took some notes.
He barely
ended that interview when Tony Two-Times, one of the Boston Mafia, dropped in
to request assistance for his niece who needs a Latin tutor. Only he wants
Shane’s girlfriend Bonnie to help, as his strict Italian mother will not allow
her granddaughter to interact with men outside the family.
Then Bonnie
wants Shane’s help with a pro bono case in which a young black teenager is
being unfairly charged with felony robbery. Bonnie’s law firm expects her to
plead the young man to whatever sentence she can negotiate and close the case
fast, and she is convinced he is being railroaded.
All in all,
Shane has a lot on his plate. He navigates the racial and ethnic divisions of
the metropolis carefully while coping with career criminals of all stripes and
varying degrees of sanity. Jimmy B in particular is a scary guy with a
surprising empathy when it comes to his dog. Shane himself is a cat person,
which makes him my instant friend.
I found
myself immediately immersed in Shane’s world. The energetic narrative is
flecked with bits of Boston history. With multiple threads and a large cast of
players, it could be easy to lose track of details but Valjan ties each story
line up neatly at the end. His work to exculpate the wrongly accused teenager
was notably slick. The ending sets up a new story arc for Shane’s next books.
Recommended
especially for readers of private investigator series and fans of Boston-based
books.
·
Publisher: Level Best - Historia
(March 12, 2024)
·
Language: English
·
Paperback: 192 pages
·
ISBN-10: 1685125301
·
ISBN-13: 978-1685125301
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4a1UTXx
Aubrey Nye Hamilton ©2024
Aubrey Hamilton is a former librarian who works on Federal It projects by day and reads mysteries at night.
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