"Lullaby Town" by Robert Crais is probably the best private dick story I've read (well, not counting the great crime-noir writers of the 30's, 40's and 50's). And, I'm not even a passionate fan of this genre. Jo Nesbo's work (he's Norwegian) provides a wholly different take on the genre, and so he and Crais are not comparable authors in any way.
What makes this story good is the dialogue, the not-too-complicated-but-complicated-enough story line, believable characters (for the most part), and the occasional even if predictable-in-outcome action. Yes, a lot of people are killed and murder others, all perfectly in keeping with their roles and allegiances. The New York Mafia characters, while full of stereotyped speech and mannerisms, nonetheless capture your interest.
Elvis Cole, the main hero is a private eye, and he is assisted by his trusty buddy, the mysterious and deadly Joe Pike. Together they wrap up a Mafia-inspired money laundering scheme involving the heroine, the one-time brief wife of a now famous Hollywood producer, who is the real "dick" in the story.
There are sections of the tale which become page-turners, true to the style of the genre and entertaining to read. Only once in a while do you feel that the way out of the dilemma in which Cole and Pike find themselves is a bit too fantastic to hold water. Thus, on occasion one must suspend disbelief to continue. But those scenes are rare. What comes to mind is the shoot-out in the pumpkin field. But that is a minor flaw.
There are no sex scenes -- a welcome feature of this story. Kudos to the author for resisting all the opportunities to include sex, for had he gone there, the story would drop in value considerably.
All-in-all, it's a good read, easy to pick up where you left off. Even for those of you who do not like Private Detective stories, this one deserves a try. It's good.
A 5 on Amazon's rating scale, due mainly to tight writing and excellent plotting.
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