Sunday, February 19, 2012

Blues in the Night -- Dick Lochte

I've been a fan of Dick Lochte's work since the appearance of Sleeping Dog. That was quite a few years ago, and I should to a "forgotten books" post on that one someday. It's probably not really forgotten, though. Anyway, I was happy to pick up Blues in the Night and see what Lochte was up to this time.

Dave Mason, known to all as "Mace," has been in prison for seven years, so he's not familiar with a lot of new stuff, like smart phones. That doesn't stop him from leaving New Orleans to go to Los Angeles to help out his old pal Paulie Lacotta, who wants him to follow an ex-girlfriend. Seems simple enough, but Mace knows that Paulie never plays things straight and that there's likely more to the story. Sure enough, there is. And every time Mace adds one more piece to the puzzle, he finds that there's more to it. Is anybody besides Mace who he (or she) seems to be? Nope. It's a twisty journey with surprises all along the way, and it's all told with zest and humor that kept me reading past the time when I usually turn off the lights. Lots of great L. A. local color, and colorful characters, too. You can't go wrong here. I'm counting on a sequel soon. Check it out.

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