Nice homages to The Big Sleep and Chinatown, I really enjoyed this first in the series novel. ( )

A WONDERFUL Seattle mystery. ( )

This first in a series is about PI Leo Waterman, hired to find the difficult daughter of a very rich and very dangerous man. So Leo hires his band of likable, almost homeless drunks to help. How can that be a good move?

This mystery is funny and touching and does have some sadistic, rather disturbing scenes, but mostly, it is just a fun story. There are environmental vigilantes and poor decisions and generally chaos and mayhem.

And yes, there is a reference to Wanda Fuca, and it was amusing but easily missed if you are not paying attention. As a hint, don't look for a lot of Wanda in this story.

I borrowed this book through Kindle Unlimited. ( )

I don't normally read detective novels but the Northwest setting attracted me. Leo Waterman is a rumpled PI assisted by a motley crew of drunks and homeless after a mafioso-like elder seeks his help in getting his niece out of a terrorist environmental group. The setting is 1995 Seattle but Ford's descriptions make it seem more like the scrappy 1970s. Entertaining and colorful. ( )

An enjoyable read; a mystery involving a private detective from Seattle who has a case that gets deeply into the environmental movement. ( )