Sunday, February 24, 2019

Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman


Gus Murphy is settled into his new normal.  He'll never have the old normal back, wife, kids, a house in the suburbs and a job he liked and was good at.  All that went away when his teenage son left the house one morning and died before Gus saw him again.  After that, things fell away.  The weight of mourning killed his marriage.  Along with the end of that went the house.  The job followed soon after, his grief expressing itself in drinking and lack of caring.

Gus's new normal is simple.  He works for a hotel where he also lives.  He is the shuttle driver, taking folks to and from the airport and he also serves as a security consultant.  He doesn't get to know people and his job requires nothing of him.  That he can handle.

Until the day Gus gets a visitor.  Tommy Delcamino is an ex-con, one that Gus put away in the past.  Tommy comes to ask Gus a favor.  Tommy's son was murdered three weeks ago and he is sure that the police are not trying that hard to solve the murder.  Gus turns him down but reconsiders when Tommy is also killed soon after coming to Gus.  Can Gus find it within himself to be able to solve these murders?  More importantly, does he even want to?

Reed Farrell Coleman is a solid mystery writer.  His brand of mystery features noir characters and is more hard-boiled than some.  He has been nominated three times for the Edgar award and has won the Shamus award for Best PI Novel three times, along with other awards and prizes.  He has also been contracted to continue the Spenser novels in the series started by Robert Parker.  This novel is the first in his new series featuring Gus Murphy.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.

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