In its starred review, Publishers Weekly called Bliss Jumps the Gun "the book for the mystery reader who's looking for something fresh and strong." Now in The Middle of Nowhere, Bob Sloan has once again created an intricate plot and characters that will keep you on the edge on your seat.Homicide detective Lenny Bliss wears consciousness like an albatross. He is looking for some inner peace. Instead he gets a floater fished out of the East River. Then his comedienne turned novelist wife wants to tag along. She's writing a novel about, of all things, a homicide detective. The investigation is not going swimmingly (they never do, with floaters) when another case takes precedent - the bludgeoning of a young man during a party in a swanky Upper East Side townhouse. Arriving on the scene, Bliss realizes he's been to this townhouse before, the night he went looking for his missing daughter who had also been to the swanky townhouse party. If his previous visit is revealed, it will taint the case and make Bliss a very likely suspect.In The Middle of Nowhere, Bob Sloan writes with the lyrical toughness of James Lee Burke and the dark humor of Carl Hiassen, creating a torrid and revealing look at the dark underbelly of New York's wealthy elite-and the deeper darkness that lies under that.
I really enjoyed the twisted characters in this book with their broadly stroked flaws and strengths. The dialog is fantastic (internal dialog as well) and the storyline works well. Lenny Bliss's difficulties resonate. Sloan's writing is daring and refreshing and I'm glad I finally discovered him. I immediately read his other books. I hope there are more to come!
Bliss entangled
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
In his third outing, New York police detective Lenny Bliss juggles two murders, both complicated by personal circumstances. The first is a "floater," and his wife, Rachel, switching careers from stand-up comedy to crime writing, tags along, for atmosphere. But Bliss' own involvement in the murder of a rich slacker kid is enough to make his blood run cold. The security tape shows him entering the house the night of the murder and leaving 20 minutes later. But the security tape is missing.And we, the reader, know who has it. There are a lot of voices in this novel, but Sloan segues well, moving among thugs, illegal domestics, nasty rich folk, cops and criminals, mouthy kids, angry parents, worried parents, grieving parents and bystanders. Darkly humorous, with a hard edge and street-smarts, softened by deft characterizations and quirky writing, this is a mixed bag that works.
Lenny is in big trouble!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 21 years ago
In each book of the Bliss series, B. Sloan gets deeper into his very interesting and offbeat characters. I couldn't go to sleep until I finished this one. The suspense built with every page.
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