Done for a Dime by
David Corbett
hbk out October 04
Published by Orion
at £12.99
A very American book, but an extremely well-written second novel by a
former private eye from San Francisco. The location is in that area, Rio
Miranda, a run-down town on the northern edge of the Bay and much of
the action takes place against a culture of black musicians and their art.
Raymond Carlisle, an elderly baritone-sax player of some renown, is
gunned down in front of his house in Rio Miranda and a prime suspect to
Detective Murchison is Raymond's son, Toby. Himself a talented
musician, Toby is the butt of his father's sarcastic criticism and the
younger man's resentment suggests a motive to Dennis Murchison.
However, the plot thickens as it transpires that a local thug had assaulted
the old man shortly before the shooting and this opens up a whole vista of
gang and racial tensions in Rio Miranda which goes far beyond a single
homicide.
A good cop and killer story, about as far removed from a British 'cosy'
whodunit as one can get.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
Done for a Dime by
David Corbett
