Harry Hunsicker, Still River

Harry Hunsicker, Still River - In Dallas, Vera Drinkwater visits her friend from high school, former Special Forces soldier turned sleuth Lee Henry Oswald III to hire him to investigate what happened to her half brother Charles Wesson, who vanished less than twenty-four hours ago. Hank, as the private investigator prefers to be called, quickly learns from his client that Charles has had a drug problem and had been to detox twice. He also works at Callahan Real Estate. Though he informs Vera that her sibling probably fell off the wagon, he takes the case.

Hank visits his mentor Ernie Ruibal, who is in the hospital, ironically dying from liver cancer. Ernie asks Hank to do him a favor by keeping an eye on his niece Nolan O'Connor who is processing papers on a nasty person tonight. Hank agrees, helping Nolan succeed. She soon joins him on his case in which he has been tailed, thugs accosted him, and now threaten to kill him if he fails to back off from Wesson. Apparently Hank has the attention of South Dallas drug kingpin Coleman Dupree and his enforcer Jack the Crack.

This is a strong urban noir starring an intriguing character with the wrong name for this city (sort of like A Boy Named Sue) who is a martial arts expert and is not afraid to use it to defend himself or those he cares about. The storyline is fast-paced as a minor case turns into a life-threatening war with Hank caught in the crosshairs. Sub-genre readers will welcome Harry Hunsicker into the fold as his champion is a fabulous protagonist making the rounds of the underside of the city.

St. Martin's, May 2005, $23.95

ISBN: 0312337876

Harriet Klausner