I just finished reading Man One, Loren D. Estleman's latest Amos Walker hard-boiled private eye novel. I've always enjoyed reading this series, which takes place in modern-day Detroit. This time, a young widow named Sage Holland drives non-stop from Alaska to Detroit to seek out Walker's help with a stalker. Holland was accused of poisoning her husband and convicted of manslaughter, but the verdict was overturned. However, her husband's brother, a police officer, believes she is guilty and has been following her cross-country, wanting her to pay for the crime. Insisting she is innocent, Walker agrees to take the case. This is a good noir style mystery, and Estleman really does a great job of evoking Detroit in the wintertime, giving us a good feel for what it is like there these days. It is a short novel, 192 pages, and really holds your attention. Estleman, a former police-beat reporter, is the author of eighty novels (33 in the Amos Walker series) and two hundred short stories, but is not as well-known as other mystery writers, at least outside the Detroit area. Which is good for readers, since you can usually find even his latest books on the library shelf and not have to put your name on a waiting list. I recommend picking up a copy today.
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