Dirty Old Town by Gabriel Valjan

Raymond Chandler's Marlowe is the model for how many private investigators? He defines that hero in The Simple Art of Murder. "He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor, by instinct...." Gabriel Valjan introduces Shane Cleary as just that type of man in Dirty Old Town.

Cleary's mean streets are Boston. When he returned from Vietnam he became a cop. When he was too honest to be a cop, he testified against one of them, breaking the police code, and made himself a target for most police officers in town. Now, in 1975, he's sleeping in his office because he doesn't have the money to pay the rent on his apartment. Then he hears from Brayton Braddock, the wealthy man who married Cleary's girlfriend, Catherine. Although Cleary never liked Bray, he needs the job and the money.

Braddock is being blackmailed. He's working on a development project with other power brokers in town, and someone has copies of his ledgers. He hires Shane to find and stop the blackmailer. Before Shane can get too far into the case, Bill, a fellow veteran and a cop with a secret asks Cleary to do him a favor. A man named Roger Sherman is missing, and Bill asks Cleary to find him.

Valjan includes a list of characters in the book, a list that is invaluable. As Cleary investigates, he finds himself in gay clubs, business offices, a bar in the wrong section of town, a soul food restaurant, and a dead man's apartment. He's suddenly a suspect in two murders, on the run from the cops, and assisted by unlikely people along the way, everyone from a professor to a street entertainer to a Mafia don. Cleary's actions as a police officer made him enemies on the force, but he finds people who remember in unlikely places.

When you think of hardboiled detective novels,  do you think of a man in a small office, barely making a living, with a sarcastic wit, and a reputation that makes him an enemy of the cops? Do you think about a man with a troubled past, and a world-weary view of the present? How about a man with a cynical view about dames, but a man attracted to the wrong ones? Of course, he's a white knight, determined to do good. Oh, and don't forget the hat. But, Shane Cleary is warned by his friend, Professor Lindsey. "Your idealism, while admirable, is from a bygone era."

I also think of beautiful writing with a clipped turn of phrase. Every sentence in those hardboiled novels paint a picture. Valjan has that talent with phrases such as "Outside the air, severe and cold as as the city's forefathers".  At one point Cleary sums up the action in the book, and concludes with "Now Boston journalists were one keystroke away from writing my obituary." It took me a while to read this slim book. The writing is worth close attention.

Gabriel Valjan puts his own spin on the stereotypical PI novel in this atmospheric period piece set in the mid-70s. It's a short, dense story, a complicated case that is too involved to read quickly. He introduces a detective who fits in perfectly with his idols, Marlowe and Spade. Robert B. Parker's Spenser and Dennis Lehane's Patrick Kenzie may have dominated their Boston. Shane Cleary is a welcome addition to Boston's mean streets, to the Dirty Old Town.

Gabriel Valjan's website is http://www.gabrielvaljan.com/

Dirty Old Town by Gabriel Valjan. Level Best Books, 2020. ISBN 9781947915442 (paperback), 160p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - The author sent a copy of the book, hoping I would review it.

Have You Heard? Foreign Eclairs by Julie Hyzy

Between deadlines for a journal and life, I haven't had time to finish the next book I'm reviewing here. But, Sandie Herron has a review of an audiobook I can share,  Foreign Eclairs by Julie Hyzy. As always, thank you, Sandie.

Foreign Éclairs                                                        

White House Chef Mystery, Book 9

Written by Julie Hyzy

Narrated by Eileen Stevens

Unabridged Audiobook

Audible Studios (1/5/16)

Listening Length:  7 hours, 54 minutes

The government sequester is over, and White House Executive Chef Olivia “Ollie” Paras is interviewing candidates for a new chef along with Chief Usher Peter Sergeant.  Sargeant is chafing without his assistant Margaret.  As Ollie heads home that evening, she is mugged at the Metro station awaiting her train.  She heads back to the White House and is then escorted home minus the purse taken in the attack.

Ollie’s husband Gav, special agent with the Secret Service, had been out of town at what Ollie believed was the prison outbreak where one of Armistan’s former leaders was being held.  Ollie had foiled the plans to free the man in jail a year ago. Through a chain of events, Ollie had stopped the men leading that attempted prison break.  The leader who ordered the failed attack had been murdered, and his brother was now demanding justice for his family. 

Gav could not confirm his whereabouts, but he returns quickly, and the two make reservations for their favorite table at a nearby restaurant.  When they walk to the restaurant, they arrive just after a bomb had exploded, destroying the alcove with their table.  Gav’s mentor and special agent Joe Yablonski has taken charge of the scene and whisks the couple away.  Yablonski and his team believe that Gav and Ollie’s apartment had been bugged by the people who took Ollie’s purse and overheard their restaurant plans.  They believe the Armistanians are out to kill Ollie following her involvement in stopping the attempts a year ago to break their former leader out of jail.  They also believe that Gav’s cover has been blown.  Ollie and Gav are stunned. 

After being escorted to work by the Secret Service, Ollie has a visit from Peter Sargeant.  His assistant Margaret had been found dead, tortured and murdered.  What White House secrets had she shared?  Ollie has been in trouble numerous times before, but this time with vengeance against her directly, she volunteers to participate in the new plan to catch the Armistanians.  Planning a visit to Gav’s friends who own a winery a couple hours away, they hope the terrorists take the bait.   Elaborate plans take place behind the scenes to prepare for the attempted retaliation and protect Ollie and Gav.   

The danger was palpable in this ninth and final entry in the White House chef mysteries; the review of Ollie’s training intense; and Gav’s fear for Ollie evident.  Author Julie Hyzy again brings us an absorbing, riveting, and gripping mystery involving both of her main characters.  Narrator Eileen Stevens ramped up her efforts to make the suspense tangible.  The final conclusion had been alluded to during the book, yet it still deeply distressed me.  This book and the entire series are highly recommended.

Winners and a "Cops" Giveaway

Congratulations to the winners of the last contest. Please See Us will go to Sandy G. from North Plainfield, NJ, and The Girl Beneath the Sea goes to Dianne C. of Elk Grove Village, IL. The books will go out in the mail today.

This week, I'm giving away three books featuring the police. Let's start with the cozy mystery. Paw of the Jungle by Diane Kelly features Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit. It starts out as a day at the Fort Worth Zoo for the team. But what begins as a field trip turns serious when two rare hyacinth macaws go missing. Soon other animals go missing, but when a rare black rhino is taken, time is of the essence. Megan and Brigit have to find who's behind the mystery before they become prey.

Cozy mystery readers will not want to venture into the next two books. Joseph Schneider's debut was released in February, just before Covid lockdown. One Day You'll Burn is a gritty, sometimes grizzly, police procedural featuring Detective Tully Jarsdel. He's an unusual LAPD cop whose former career in academia comes in handy in a story of violence and evil. The story is an homage to LA, in all its beauty and squalor.

Remain Silent is a Marion Bradshaw novel by Susie Steiner. Bradshaw is an officer in the cold case department of the Cambridgeshire police force. Her personal life is a mess, and when she discovers the body of a Lithuanian immigrant hanging from a tree, her professional life turns dangerous.








Which mystery would you like to win? There are a few of you who will be interested in all three books. I need separate entries for each one. Email me at Lesa.Holstine@gmail.com. Your subject heading should read "Win Paw of the Jungle", "Win One Day You'll Burn" or "Win Remain Silent." Please include your name and mailing address. The contest will end Thursday, Aug. 20 at 5 PM CT. Entries from the U.S. only, please.

What Are You Reading?

How are you this week? I'm on vacation, although I'm at home. So, that gives me reading time! I'm reading on deadline, as usual. I'm also reading Gabriel Valjan's PI novel,  Dirty Old Town. It's set in Boston, and it's the first Shane Cleary mystery. Cleary is an ex-cop turned PI who takes a case from a childhood friend he detests because he's desperate for money. He also still has a thing for the man's wife who was Shane's girlfriend at one time. I know this is going to get rough for Cleary eventually. That means I'm happy it says "Shane Cleary Mystery #1". I always like to know that the hero makes it out alive.


How about you? Are you doing okay? What are you reading this week?

Patti Callahan's Surviving Savannah

Here it is! I'm excited to share the cover for Surviving Savannah by New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan, on sale March 9, 2021. It’s inspired by the true and forgotten story of the sinking of the “Titanic of the South”.  Pre-order it here: https://bit.ly/3i9VQ4Y Visit Patti online: https://www.patticallahanhenry.com/surviving-savannah  

Whatever you do, put it on your calendar.

About the book

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan delivers a breathtaking novel based on true events.
It was called "The Titanic of the South”—the luxury steamship that sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board. Through time, their fates were forgotten—until the wreck was found.

Now their story is finally being told.

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who, along with her child, was never found. The women were part of Savannah society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving.

Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday, and Orphan Train, Callahan’s highly anticipated novel tells the story of a little known chapter of history that has long deserved a spotlight. This transformative tale told from alternating past and present perspectives will sweep readers away and move them to their core.

Q&A with Patti Callahan

What inspired you to write Surviving Savannah?

Originally I was inspired by the Pulaski tales of survival, how the city of Savannah was part of this story, and how the Lowcountry was affected by this tragedy. I was also inspired and curious about the transformation of each passenger and the ways that each survivor not only lived through the explosion, but also how they chose to live their lives after the sinking.

How, I wondered, do some come to live better lives and others turn toward bitterness and cruelty? Who do we become after such great loss?

AND then!, everything shifted because after a hundred and eighty years, along came a shipwreck hunting crew who found the remains of the Pulaski a hundred feet beneath the waves, thirty miles off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. While the team went deep to bring up the artifacts and treasure of this beautiful ship, I dug deep to bring up the stories.  

My exhilarating hunt for the forgotten story began.

What kind of research was required to write the novel? Did anything surprise you?

The research was as fascinating as it was extensive – from the archives at the Georgia Historical Center in Savannah and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum to books, newspaper archives, personal accounts and letters, I read everything that I could get my hands on. I devoured books on steamships and Savannah in the 1800’s. I read about the rich history of the colonization of Savannah with General Oglethorpe. I walked the streets of Savannah and visited museums and artifact collections. I interviewed shipwreck experts and became enchanted with the world of wreck salvaging and treasure hunting.

During this journey, I was surprised over and over, but one surprise that opens the novel is the true narrative about a fifteen-year-old passenger named Charles who survived the sinking to become a slave trader with a horrific reputation. As he grew into a man, he earned the nickname “the Red Devil”. How had this young boy survived to become so cruel? I wanted to know. 

Finally, after years of research, I put together a complete story of that calamitous night, and one family in particular.

Your story follows three women – Lily and Augusta on the ship in 1838, and Everly in present day. Which of the three women did you relate to the most and why?

While I was writing each section I always felt the most connected to the woman I was writing about at the moment. I don’t think I felt more for one woman than another but of course our modern-day character, Everly felt more relatable only because I know today’s Savannah and I know today’s southern norms and ideas. The historical narratives were almost two hundred years old, and yet I still felt as close to Lilly and Augusta because their plight and their desires and their inner lives feel familiar. As far as women have come in their roles in society, there is still the struggle for independence and agency. There remains the need to burst through familial and collective norms to build a life of one’s own.

All three women had their own tragedies, hardships and losses to navigate. All three needed to discover how they would make meaning and purpose out of their situation. All three found out what they were truly made of and if they wanted to merely survive or if they wanted to thrive and build new lives.

*****

You can enter for a chance to win an advanced digital review copy of the book here: https://sweeps.penguinrandomhouse.com/enter/surviving-savannah-cover-reveal-sweeps

(NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. US Residents, 18+. Ends August 17, 2020. See official rules at official website.)

Additional Links

Add SURVIVING SAVANNAH to your shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54306882-surviving-savannah

Visit Patti online: https://www.patticallahanhenry.com/surviving-savannah

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert

Victoria Gilbert, author of the Blue Ridge Library mysteries, remains in the book world with the first in her Booklover's B&B Mysteries, Booked for Death. Fans of Ellery Adams' Book Retreat mysteries might want to try this new character-driven cozy.

Charlotte Reed is recently widowed and in her forties when she inherits her Great-Aunt Isabella's historic inn in Beaufort, North Carolina. After her retirement, Isabella turned her home into a bed-and-breakfast called Chapters. Because she had collected a library of rare books, she specialized in events centered on books and authors. But, Charlotte's Josephine Tey week is interrupted by murder.

The victim, a rare book dealer, certainly was dislikable. He insinuated that Isabella had accumulated her money and book collection through some sort of shady deeds. But, Charlotte isn't the only suspect in his death, although she's the one accused by the man's daughter who says she was trying to save her aunt's reputation and her own livelihood. It seems most people at the Tey costume party had a run-in with the man, or a reason to want him dead. When the suspects are asked to stay in town, Charlotte realizes she might be entertaining a killer as a guest in her home.

But, where did Isabella Harrington get her money? Charlotte's great-aunt never really talked about her past, including a couple years when she went missing from family reunions. Now, Charlotte has two mysteries on her hands. Although she knows the police are competent, she's willing to team up with her shrewd elderly neighbor. They're both smart women. "And like some of the famous classic mystery heroines, we're also older and easy to overlook. The kind of women a lot of people might underestimate."

Gilbert's latest is leisurely paced, as she introduces the cast in this character-driven series. I wasn't crazy about the few incidents of foreshadowing. It's a personal peeve. But, I really enjoyed Charlotte and her neighbor, Ellen, who both have interesting backstories. And, as a librarian, I respect the amount of research Charlotte put into her search for answers.

Booked for Death is a solid debut for a series that offers possibilities I can't even explain without giving away secrets in the mystery itself. Check it out if you enjoy cozy mysteries set in the world of books.

Victoria Gilbert's website is www.victoriagilbertmysteries.com

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert. Crooked Lane Books, 2020. ISBN 9781643853079 (hardcover), 320p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - I received the book to review for a journal.

Deadly Touch by Heather Graham

Although I've read all thirty of Heather Graham's previous Krewe of Hunters books, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy Deadly Touch. I like the books that are set in historic settings such as Salem or New Orleans or Baltimore. But, I should trust Graham to  handle that issue beautifully. She concentrates on the Everglades as an environment, the river of grass with its wildlife. But, she incorporates pirates, and lightly touches on the history and culture of the Miccosukee and Seminoles who make the area their home.

Thirteen years ago, Raina Hamish was a fourteen-year-old camper with her school group in the Everglades. Axel Tiger was the storyteller, who told of pirate ships, and one cursed one. He was getting ready to leave for the Marines and then college. Like the other girls, Raina thought Axel was hot. But, she had the chance to talk to him late at night when she left her tent, and, in the lighting and the fog, saw the pirate ship. Axel knew she saw it, as he did.

Now, Axel Tiger is an FBI special agent with the Krewe of Hunters, the division that specializes in unusual crimes. He's back in his home territory in Miami because, like thirteen years earlier, a woman has gone missing. And Raina Hamish sent the police directly to the body in the Everglades. While the police think she was involved in the abduction and murder of Jennifer Lowry. Axel's interested in her story. Raina was trying on a dress in a boutique, looked in the mirror, and saw Jennifer Lowry's death. Unlike the others, Axel is willing to believe her. And, he hopes to tap into her gift to help with the investigation.

Raina and Axel remember their previous meeting, and that they both saw that pirate ship. Now, although Raina wants to deny her gift, she can't. She's now an animal trainer, with an unusual rapport with her dog, Titan. Somehow, she also has an unusual rapport with Jennifer, the dead woman. Once she realizes the murders may have been going on for thirteen years, and the killer uses the Everglades as a dump site, she's determined to help. She has to help law enforcement stop what's going on. She wants to make a difference.

Graham successfully brings the past and the present together, with the help of the dead. She also brings together three groups of law officers. The paranormal elements, along with the romantic elements, are always essential in these crime novels. As I said, though, I'm always looking for the historical elements to fill in gaps. With the stories of the Seminoles and Miccosukee, Deadly Touch doesn't disappoint.

Heather Graham's website is www.theoriginalheathergraham.com

Deadly Touch by Heather Graham. Mira, 2020. ISBN 9780778360957 (hardcover), 316p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - Library book