Red Hook by
Reggie Nadelson
hbk out May 05
Published by Heinemann
at £12.99
This is the sixth book in the series featuring New York cop, Artie Cohen and,
had I not known the author was an attractive blonde lady called Regina, I'd have
sworn it was written by a man.
All Artie's antecedents and most of his friends are Russian. The story opens
as he is about to get married to Maxine but he is very concerned about his friend Sid
McKay. Sid has called to say he is worried and would Artie go out to Red Hook
(district of New York) and see him.When Artie finally makes it to Red Hook, he finds
police dragging a body from the river and no sign of Sid.
Sid has been on the trail of Jack Santiago, investigative reporter who has been
following a story of trafficking in radioactive materials. His dramatic reports have
suggested 1000,000 people are liely to die of nuclear poisoning in terrorist attacks.
But Santiago is killed the very night that Artie marries Maxine.
And talking of Maxine, Artie's last girlfriend, and love of his life, was Lily but
she walked out on him. But Lily comes back…
You could not get a better insight into New York Jewish life than this book,
not even if you watched every Woody Allen film ever made. The style is a highly
distinctive, almost stream of consciousness. Tenses and viewpoints change but
throughout the book runs a rich vein of Jewish humour.
(
Ron Ellis
Author of the highly acclaimed Johnny Ace, series set in Liverpool)
Red Hook by
Reggie Nadelson
