P.I.

This is one of the better and more unusual hooks for a mystery than I can think of - the brother in prison is a cipher both to Eddie and to the reader, and like Eddie, I imagine your interest and affection for Henry will grow as the novel progresses. The other really wonderful thing about this book is that it's a great story, and Arsenault wastes few words in getting his tale across, which eventually includes the requisite cop friend, a cranky cat, and Henry's colorful married-her-while-he-was-in-prison wife, Bobbi, who looks and acts something like you might expect she might. The story also includes some bang up car chases and a terrific scene in a well (you'll have to read it for yourself). The ability to write interesting action is not one evenly sprinkled among mystery writers; it's a trick to make it interesting, especially as it's a part of almost every good mystery. This novel reminded me a good bit of Doug Allyn's terrific The Burning of Rachel Hayes, a similarly explosively narrated story, also involving a dandy scene in a well (the two scenes are very different, it's worth reading both books to compare them). By the time Eddie hooks up with a yucky and ugly motorcycle only he could love, I think you'll be hooked on Eddie, his cat, his brother, and Arsenault's smooth, engaging and compelling storytelling style. Arsenault's first novel, Spiked, was nominated for a Shamus award; let's hope more acclaim and more readership will continue to follow this gifted writer. (Robin)