Ken Kuhlken The Do-Re-Mi

The Do-Re-Mi

Ken Kuhlken

Poisoned Pen Press, Nov 2006, $24.95

ISBN: 1590583388

In 1972, twenty two year-old Clifford Hickey gives it one last chance to live his dream of making it as a folk singer. However, though he admires his taciturn ethical private investigator dad Tom, Clifford would prefer not to follow his footsteps into law enforcement; he informs his father that if he fails this time in his music endeavor he plans to enter USC law school.

Clifford is scheduled perform at Evergreen jamboree. He arrives in the midst of the redwoods to stay at the camp of his half-brother Alvaro. However, soon afterwards, cops assault the site with Alvaro fleeing into the woods while Clifford is incarcerated, but eventually freed. Clifford learns that Alvaro has been charged with the murder of a local law enforcement official's relative. He does not believe Alvaro would commit such a crime so taking a page from his sleuthing dad, Clifford notifies his father, but begins to investigate rather than wait for the clever private detective to arrive as time is critical. He soon finds every type of sub-group in town wants Alvaro to take the fall.

The mantle moves on as the son takes center stage from the father (Tom was the focus of the previous books - all worth reading). The storyline is driven by Clifford's discovery of social strata circa Viet Nam era California woods where hippies, bikers, Feds, and locals intermingle in a fractured peaceful coexistence. The whodunit is cleverly set up so that Alvaro looks guilty to readers and support cast with only his family believing otherwise. Ken Kuhlken provides to flavor of the era inside a wonderful historical private investigate tale.

Harriet Klausner