brandonsears

Det. Donald Lam is hired to locate two women who could verify the whereabouts of a man thought to be involved in the disappearance of well known, San Francisco socialite. Unsatisfied with the outcome coupled with a feeling that his client’s story stinks, Lam lets his instincts take him further down the rabbit hole. Was Lam right to pursue his gut or will he lose everything in the process?

Hardcase had a lot to live up to in providing the reader with an adequate follow up to both Grifter's Game and Fade To Blonde - but I’m not sure this was the best choice. There were aspects about this that I really liked, most notably Donald Lam himself. His dialogue was snappy and at times, pretty funny. What can I say, I love my detectives to show some backbone as well as having razor sharp wit.

Lam is a smart guy, his decisions and assumptions seem to come out on the right side of things more often than not. He must have one hell of a poker face because he’s an expert in the field of bluffing. He could probably tell you that the sky is green and you’d second guess yourself.

Some of the supporting cast were a little strange - especially Lam’s partner, Brenda. While I understood why she had been upset following a specific event, you’d think that with this being the 22nd installment of the series, she’d be a little more confident with Lam’s skills as a detective.

While I liked it, it didn’t leave me with the same lasting impression that either of the first two books did. However, I think I may be completely hooked on this publisher.