KILL ROMEO

4 stars out of 5

There's an old saying that goes, "Man makes plans and God laughs." Nobody knows that better than Freddy Ferguson, a former boxer turned private eye who finds a dead woman in a Virginia woods. But just as he gets hold of her, an incoming storm overwhelms the area, and the swollen river quickly knocks out the dam and sweeps the body downstream and leaves him holding a leather strap holding a tiny numbered key.

Intrigued - and upset that he wasn't able to hold onto her body - he informs the local police and they make an initial investigation that turns up a couple of mysterious and partial handwritten notes in her hotel room. Back home in Washington, D.C., he tries to get back to working on the firm's cases with his partner, Earl Kessler, and employees Bethany, Leon and Claire (each of whom has both endearing and annoying character facets, BTW). In fact, Freddy has a "thing" for Claire, but he realizes that an interoffice romance isn't a good idea - even if he thought Claire would be interested in him (which he doesn't).

Not long thereafter, the dead woman's body washes up in the James River and his intrigue undergoes a revival. Now, he's determined to identify her; so far, the police have no leads. With some help from the other sleuths in the firm, the tiny key gives up its secret, and he traces it to Delray Beach, Florida, and off he goes. There, he gets a couple of surprises, not the least of which is that she has ties to organized crime. Another comes in the form of the woman's father, who is convinced his daughter's most recent boyfriend did her in and hires Freddy to find her unknown "Romeo."

From that point on, the book focuses on Freddy chasing both Romeo and Claire (I'm not sure which "catch" he thinks is more uncertain, but based on the number of pages devoted to the subject, I'm betting on Claire). All in all, it's an enjoyable journey from a reading standpoint. For the record, this is the second in a series, but there's plenty of background "stuff" thrown in and I never felt at a disadvantage for not having read the first one (I did, however, read and highly recommend To Hell with Johnny Manic, another of his books).

The next one in this series, however, I'm looking forward to - and for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy of this one, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley.

Kill Romeo by Andrew Diamond (Stolen Time Press, July 2022); 299 pp.

TO HELL WITH JOHNNY MANIC

5 stars out of 5

The description of this book enticed me to give it a go - and I'm happy to report it more than lived up to expectations. Part thriller, part ill-fated romance and a whole lot of throwback to vintage crime Raymond Chandler-style, I must say I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

As the story begins, we find a guy named Tom Gantry blowing money to the wind in a Las Vegas casino. He's not there as Tom, though; he's really a fugitive from Illinois who's taken over the identity of a man named John Manis (who's also known as Johnny Manic). It seems Tom embezzled a ton of money, got caught and went to jail, got out and violated parole, so a new identity was a must to avoid capture.

When he's down to his last $10,000, give or take a few shekels, Johnny cuts his losses and heads to Napa, California, in hopes of buying a tech repair company from a computer whiz who wants to do something else with his life. There, he meets a femme fatale named Marilyn Dupree, who's married to a filthy rich but philandering dude named Bastion. Sparks fly the very first time they eyeball each other, so it's inevitable that they'd hook up even though it's clearly a match made in hell.

Throw into the mix at least one other unsavory character, a couple of untimely deaths and Lou Eisenfall, a detective who's suspicious of everybody but hones in on Johnny and Marilyn like a fly on a honeypot. Stir up that pot, add a twist or two of spice and you've got a very entertaining and well-written story. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy to read and review.

To Hell with Johnny Manic by Andrew Diamond (Stolen Time Press, August 2019); 279 pp.