Carl Brookins, The Case of the Greedy Lawyers

The Case of the Greedy Lawyers

Carl Brookins

Five Star, Sep 2005, $25.95, 260 pp.

ISBN: 1594143196

An upper class female visits Hennepin County, Minnesota private investigator Sean "NMI" Sean insisting that powerful attorney Ephraim Harcourt Saint Martin sent her to him because she needs his help. She tells him no more except that she will consider hiring him before leaving.

The next day the police ask Sean to come to the morgue to identify a corpse of a woman carrying his business card. He recognizes her as his visitor who left without providing her name or her reason for seeing him. Not long afterward, someone attacks Sean at his home warning him to back off or else. Another woman calls pleading with him to help her; she too is murdered. Finally Sean also learns that a nameless detective (not Pronzini's) has made inquiries about him so he investigates why. This leads him to Lucinda the dominatrix and the knowledge of S&M behavior on the part of the legal class. Sean keeps digging as only he can to uncover who is snuffing out their bondage partners as Ephraim is now dead.

Sean is terrific in what is a spoof on hard boiled detectives as the hero proves that tough sleuths can be small (5'3"), compassionate, caring and in your face as he refuses to accept crap. The story line is interesting as Sean is pulled into the world of bondage by not quite clients who end up dead. Private investigative fans will enjoy the entertaining tale wondering what is going on and tagging along with Sean as he ponders why homicide amongst the legal class has interrupted their sexual games.

Harriet Klausner