Bloody London

Reggie Nadelson's latest brings back her Russian/American hero Artie Cohen as a private eye. Artie is worldly-wise, soulful, and not above making up the rules as he goes along. Nadelson's New York and London are pitch-perfect, her plot appropriately labyrinthine, and her best heroines are at once beautiful, wised-up, willful, and--intriguingly--over 40. If you like intelligently written mysteries that keep one eye on the headlines--Michael Connelly comes to mind--you're going to love this.

Former Russian citizen, Artie Cohen left NYPD to become a private investigator. Much of his work comes from Sonny Lippert, who asks Artie to investigate a Manhattan murder of a British expatriate Tommy Pascoe. The assailant tried to remove the victim's head before leaving the deceased to swim in an exclusive Sutton Place pool. Artie begins to investigate the murder and soon finds a Russian connection that sends the sleuth into Brooklyn. Other killings follow and lead Artie to London where the city seems on the verge of annihilation or exhilaration depending on where you sit in the food chain. BLOODY LONDON, the third Artie Cohen mystery is a puissant tale that focuses on the decade-old aftermath of the collapse of Communism on New York and London. Artie remains a charming but wild mix while his girlfriend Lily seems stronger than previously depicted. The who-done-it is entertaining as Artie falls in love with the decadent, exciting, and pendulum-like swinging London. Though Reggie Nadelson makes Artie seem too lyrical at times, this doesn't prevent fans or readers new to this exciting series (see RED HOT BLUES and HOT POPPIES) from enjoying the maturing of the characters as the tale twists into new areas.