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Joe Kozmarski #1
The Last Striptease
In his impressive and confident debut, Michael Wiley delivers a thrilling tale about how greed and revenge play out on the streets of Chicago.
Private eye Joe Kozmarski has just been asked to clear his childhood friend Bob Piedras of murder. Bob's latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese-American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel. No one's very surprised. She had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of a camera. And Bob has a history of violence. But Bob's boss, retired judge Peter Rifkin, is convinced Bob is innocent and he thinks Joe is the one to find the real killer.
But Joe's life is complicated. He hasn't spoken to Rifkin for fifteen years---ever since his father, now dead, found out that the judge had double-crossed him. The dead woman's brothers, a pair of tough guys, are bent on being the first to find and punish her murderer. On top of that, Joe and his wife have separated and his mother has dropped his eleven-year-old nephew on him. But the more obstacles Joe encounters, the more determined he becomes to see this case through.
Since its beginning, the PWA/SMP Best First Private Eye Novel Contest has accomplished its mission of finding amazing new talent in mystery writing. With vividly realized characters and a page-turning story line, The Last Striptease is the latest in what has become a long tradition of excellent crime fiction.
Private eye Joe Kozmarski has just been asked to clear his childhood friend Bob Piedras of murder. Bob's latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese-American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel. No one's very surprised. She had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of a camera. And Bob has a history of violence. But Bob's boss, retired judge Peter Rifkin, is convinced Bob is innocent and he thinks Joe is the one to find the real killer.
But Joe's life is complicated. He hasn't spoken to Rifkin for fifteen years---ever since his father, now dead, found out that the judge had double-crossed him. The dead woman's brothers, a pair of tough guys, are bent on being the first to find and punish her murderer. On top of that, Joe and his wife have separated and his mother has dropped his eleven-year-old nephew on him. But the more obstacles Joe encounters, the more determined he becomes to see this case through.
Since its beginning, the PWA/SMP Best First Private Eye Novel Contest has accomplished its mission of finding amazing new talent in mystery writing. With vividly realized characters and a page-turning story line, The Last Striptease is the latest in what has become a long tradition of excellent crime fiction.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2007
5 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wiley
34 books85 followersMichael Wiley’s new novel is The Long Way Out, featuring Franky Dast, an exonerated ex-con who investigates a series of murders in Northeast Florida. Michael is also the author of three mystery and detective series, including the Shamus Award-winning Joe Kozmarski books, the Daniel Turner thrillers, and, most recently, the Sam Kelson PI novels. His short stories appear often in magazines and anthologies, including Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2022.
Michael grew up in Chicago and lived and worked in the neighborhoods and on the streets where he sets his Kelson and Kozmarski mysteries. He teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville—the setting of The Long Way Out, an earlier Franky Dast novel (Monument Road), and the Daniel Turner novels.
Series:
* Joe Kozmarski Mystery
Michael grew up in Chicago and lived and worked in the neighborhoods and on the streets where he sets his Kelson and Kozmarski mysteries. He teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville—the setting of The Long Way Out, an earlier Franky Dast novel (Monument Road), and the Daniel Turner novels.
Series:
* Joe Kozmarski Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 3, 2018
In 1986, the PWA (Private Eye Writers of America) teamed up with St. Martin's Press to sponsor The St. Martin's Press/PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Contest, and it was given out more or less regularly until 2014, when Minotaur Books took over sponsoring the contest. The contest is open to any professional or non-professional writer who has NEVER been the author of a published "private eye" novel. The contest is currently on hiatus while a new sponsor is sought.
So, back in 2006, Michael Wiley submitted his first novel, then titled “Unrobed”, which was re-titled “The Last Striptease” upon publication. He won the contest.
In the book we meet private eye Joe Kozmarski, an ex-cop living in Chicago, who with the promise of a $15,000 fee, has just been hired to clear his friend Bob Piedras of committing a murder. It seems Bob's latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel, and Bob has disappeared. The dead girl had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of the camera. And Bob has been known for his occasional violence. We also have Bob's boss, the retired judge Peter Rifkin, who is convinced Bob is innocent and hires Joe to find the real killer. All this, and Joe’s mother sends his eleven year old nephew to live with him.
There are some funny moments in this competent mystery. Not laugh out loud funny, more along the lines of cleaver writing. We also watch Joe struggle to try and remain faithful to his recently divorced wife Eileen, who he wants back. Many of the female characters try and glean his favors. There are also touching moments, such as when Joe’s old partner is shot and he visits him in the hospital - “He had breathing tubes through his nose, tubes in his arms, tubes snaking under his medical gown. He looked like he could breathe underwater with no tanks, like he could crap without a toilet. Seeing him like that made me cry, too. “
An entertaining book, which is also the first book in this series.
So, back in 2006, Michael Wiley submitted his first novel, then titled “Unrobed”, which was re-titled “The Last Striptease” upon publication. He won the contest.
In the book we meet private eye Joe Kozmarski, an ex-cop living in Chicago, who with the promise of a $15,000 fee, has just been hired to clear his friend Bob Piedras of committing a murder. It seems Bob's latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel, and Bob has disappeared. The dead girl had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of the camera. And Bob has been known for his occasional violence. We also have Bob's boss, the retired judge Peter Rifkin, who is convinced Bob is innocent and hires Joe to find the real killer. All this, and Joe’s mother sends his eleven year old nephew to live with him.
There are some funny moments in this competent mystery. Not laugh out loud funny, more along the lines of cleaver writing. We also watch Joe struggle to try and remain faithful to his recently divorced wife Eileen, who he wants back. Many of the female characters try and glean his favors. There are also touching moments, such as when Joe’s old partner is shot and he visits him in the hospital - “He had breathing tubes through his nose, tubes in his arms, tubes snaking under his medical gown. He looked like he could breathe underwater with no tanks, like he could crap without a toilet. Seeing him like that made me cry, too. “
An entertaining book, which is also the first book in this series.
August 9, 2017
This book was published in 2007. Have I been in a coma since then? How did I not discover this noir until now? A little wordy, and I hate dreams, particularly in duplicate (or is it triplicate?) and just a bit too much personal relationship stuff for my taste. But for the most part, Wiley lets the action and dialogue paint the picture rather than bludgeoning us with interior monologue. Can't wait to continue with Joe and then get with Wiley's Jax series. I'm awake now.
November 12, 2017
Beneath the shiny surface of Chicago’s Gold Coast lies a world of backroom DVDs, art students with rich boyfriends, professors who want to party, and other nasty extracurricular activities. What starts out as a murder investigation leads a private eye into a twisted world. An easy read that balances Joe’s life with his sort of adopted nephew and his on again off again ex-wife with a world of pounding dance clubs, nasty movies, and bloody outcomes.
July 29, 2023
3.5 rounded up. the plot is ok but I expected more humor
December 26, 2023
Preaching to the Choir
It takes talent to translate the visuals of Film Noir into text, and The Last Striptease doesn’t hold back with its stereotypical private eye. These novels live and die by the lead's force of personality, and Kozmarski is every bit the hardboiled cynical detective one expects. It’s delightful, but I have to wonder if by adhering to the demands of the genre, there’s not much room for creativity.
Set in the famously corrupt Chicago, the author hits all the right tropes and delivers familiar plot twists. Kozmarksi’s home life is terrible, and his professional one is in shambles. It’s hard to tell the difference between the authorities and organized crime. There’s a mystery, but I would classify The Last Striptease as more of a thriller. Yes, the private eye is solving a murder, but the list of suspects is thin and there’s insufficient evidence for the reader to guess the solution.
Without an intellectually engaging puzzle, all that remains of The Last Striptease is Film Noir style. If you’re not a fan of the genre, this novel won’t change your mind. There’s a ridiculous car chase that should have seen all participants dead, and of cringe-worthy note is how absurdly lucky our protagonist is with the ladies despite a cornucopia of flaws, but is physically and mentally pummelled often enough I was willing to give it a pass. Fans of the genre should be delighted by the author’s singleminded focus to deliver what they want.
Recommended.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ The Last Striptease (Joe Kozmarski, #1)
★★★☆☆ The Bad Kitty Lounge (Joe Kozmarski, #2)
★★★★☆ A Bad Night’s Sleep (Joe Kozmarski, #3)
Fast-paced and entertaining, fans of Film Noir will be delighted by the author’s dedication to the classic atmosphere. The mysteries are complex, the detective is a mess, and the novel never overstays its welcome.
★★★☆☆ - Recommended for Film Noir fans.
It takes talent to translate the visuals of Film Noir into text, and The Last Striptease doesn’t hold back with its stereotypical private eye. These novels live and die by the lead's force of personality, and Kozmarski is every bit the hardboiled cynical detective one expects. It’s delightful, but I have to wonder if by adhering to the demands of the genre, there’s not much room for creativity.
Set in the famously corrupt Chicago, the author hits all the right tropes and delivers familiar plot twists. Kozmarksi’s home life is terrible, and his professional one is in shambles. It’s hard to tell the difference between the authorities and organized crime. There’s a mystery, but I would classify The Last Striptease as more of a thriller. Yes, the private eye is solving a murder, but the list of suspects is thin and there’s insufficient evidence for the reader to guess the solution.
Without an intellectually engaging puzzle, all that remains of The Last Striptease is Film Noir style. If you’re not a fan of the genre, this novel won’t change your mind. There’s a ridiculous car chase that should have seen all participants dead, and of cringe-worthy note is how absurdly lucky our protagonist is with the ladies despite a cornucopia of flaws, but is physically and mentally pummelled often enough I was willing to give it a pass. Fans of the genre should be delighted by the author’s singleminded focus to deliver what they want.
Recommended.
Series Overall Spoiler-Free Thoughts
★★★★☆ The Last Striptease (Joe Kozmarski, #1)
★★★☆☆ The Bad Kitty Lounge (Joe Kozmarski, #2)
★★★★☆ A Bad Night’s Sleep (Joe Kozmarski, #3)
Fast-paced and entertaining, fans of Film Noir will be delighted by the author’s dedication to the classic atmosphere. The mysteries are complex, the detective is a mess, and the novel never overstays its welcome.
★★★☆☆ - Recommended for Film Noir fans.
June 21, 2010
I have quickly become a big fan of Michael Wiley’s work. I have read both of his novels and I am going to put him in the mix of my favorite Private Eye Authors .Usually I wait for more than 2 novels in a series to decide that, but I am hooked on his main character, Joe Kozmarski and his surrounding cast. The microcosm that Wiley creates in and around him is interesting and gripping from paragraph one to the very end.
The Last Striptease is the winner of the PWA/SMP Best First Private – Eye Novel contest. After you have read a few pages of the story it is easy to tell why. Here is the blurb on the jacket cover, there are no spoilers in it but it gives you the gist of the novel and the style that Wiley has: ”Private eye Joe Kozmarski has just been asked to clear his childhood friend Bob Piedras of murder. Bob’s latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese-American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel. No one’s very surprised. She had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of a camera. And Bob has a history of violence. But Bob’s boss, retired judge Peter Rifkin, is convinced Bob is innocent and he thinks Joe is the one to find the real killer.
But Joe’s life is complicated. He hasn’t spoken to Rifken for fifteen years-ever since his father, now dead, found out that the judge had double crossed him. The dead woman’s brothers, a pair of tough guys, are bent on being the first to find and punish her murderer. On top of that, Joe and his wife have separated and his mother has dropped his eleven year old nephew on him.”
I don’t like to draw comparisons to different authors because each is unique and draws from their own influences. Michael Wiley is a force in this genre, which I think I can safely say. I enjoy mysteries; I enjoy good detective characters. I enjoy a good , fast paced game of cat and mouse and trying to figure out who is the bad guy in the story. Wiley has not only given me that in these two novels but exceeded my expectations. I read these in reverse order, reading The Bad Kitty Lounge first, and it did not detract from them at all. The novels are nice, neat, quick ride reads that will leave you wanting for more. I really enjoy that in a nice character driven piece, because with Joe Kozmarski and Michael Wiley I want more.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
The Last Striptease is the winner of the PWA/SMP Best First Private – Eye Novel contest. After you have read a few pages of the story it is easy to tell why. Here is the blurb on the jacket cover, there are no spoilers in it but it gives you the gist of the novel and the style that Wiley has: ”Private eye Joe Kozmarski has just been asked to clear his childhood friend Bob Piedras of murder. Bob’s latest girlfriend, a young Vietnamese-American beauty, has turned up dead in an airport hotel. No one’s very surprised. She had a taste for hard liquor, drugs, and stripping in front of a camera. And Bob has a history of violence. But Bob’s boss, retired judge Peter Rifkin, is convinced Bob is innocent and he thinks Joe is the one to find the real killer.
But Joe’s life is complicated. He hasn’t spoken to Rifken for fifteen years-ever since his father, now dead, found out that the judge had double crossed him. The dead woman’s brothers, a pair of tough guys, are bent on being the first to find and punish her murderer. On top of that, Joe and his wife have separated and his mother has dropped his eleven year old nephew on him.”
I don’t like to draw comparisons to different authors because each is unique and draws from their own influences. Michael Wiley is a force in this genre, which I think I can safely say. I enjoy mysteries; I enjoy good detective characters. I enjoy a good , fast paced game of cat and mouse and trying to figure out who is the bad guy in the story. Wiley has not only given me that in these two novels but exceeded my expectations. I read these in reverse order, reading The Bad Kitty Lounge first, and it did not detract from them at all. The novels are nice, neat, quick ride reads that will leave you wanting for more. I really enjoy that in a nice character driven piece, because with Joe Kozmarski and Michael Wiley I want more.
What are you reading today? Check us out and become our friend on Facebook. Go to Goodreads and become our friend there and suggest books for us to read and post on. You can also follow us on Twitter, Book Blogs, and also look for our posts on Amazon. Did you know you can shop directly on Amazon by clicking the Gelati’s Store Tab on our blog? Thanks for stopping by today; we will see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
January 23, 2008
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I hated the cover and the title, because they're both misleading and a little sleazy. This isn't a hackjob, but a very well written novel about an ex-cop turned detective who's trying his best to make a living and stay sober despite some serious blows to his life. I won't go into the plot, because it's a bit too twisty. However, the writing style reminded me a lot of early Robert B. Parker, but without Hawk.
This is a first novel and I'm hoping Wiley writes more about Joe and his world as a detective in Chicago.
This is a first novel and I'm hoping Wiley writes more about Joe and his world as a detective in Chicago.
October 30, 2009
Decent debut of another series featuring a former cop turned PI in Chicago.
March 17, 2022
Full disclosure. Michael Wiley was my professor when I was trying to get my graduate degree in English. I liked him a lot, and was shocked to hear he had won a prize for a private eye novel.
This is a killer take on the genre. The beginning is absolutely brilliant. Like a mad cocktail of an Elmore Leonard novel and Chinatown (Polanski film). Tough guy talk. But with a layer of complexity underneath. The plot is woven together beautifully, and has plenty of entertaining peaks and valleys, without any of that gratuitously overdone thunderclap twist nonsense they seem to love on Netflix these days.
On top of the normal sleuth, gunplay business, there is also a touching little domestic drama laced into the story. So the novel has all the good stuff you'd expect from this kind of story, but with some depth of character you might not expect. It's sparsely written, paced perfectly, entertaining and just fun to read.
This is a killer take on the genre. The beginning is absolutely brilliant. Like a mad cocktail of an Elmore Leonard novel and Chinatown (Polanski film). Tough guy talk. But with a layer of complexity underneath. The plot is woven together beautifully, and has plenty of entertaining peaks and valleys, without any of that gratuitously overdone thunderclap twist nonsense they seem to love on Netflix these days.
On top of the normal sleuth, gunplay business, there is also a touching little domestic drama laced into the story. So the novel has all the good stuff you'd expect from this kind of story, but with some depth of character you might not expect. It's sparsely written, paced perfectly, entertaining and just fun to read.
May 8, 2020
A exciting mystery with plenty of suspense,action with some humor and romance thrown in. A private eye witnesses a murder and was then asked to clear his old friend of his of it by a ex retired crooked judge who was once a friend of his dad .While investigating it his friends latest girlfriend is found murdered in a hotel room Things heat up from there.This book was hard not to listen to and highly recommend reading or listening to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2018
I read this first book after reading the second in the series, but it didn't really matter. Fast-paced, hard-boiled. I'll continue the ride with Joe Kozmarski if Wiley continues to write about him.
August 18, 2018
RATING: 3.0
August 14, 2020
还行，第一人称芝加哥PI，可以再听听
Read
August 24, 2025Jan 2010 #1 of 3
December 5, 2024
An excellent first chapter in a new series featuring Joe Kozmarski, an ex-cop private eye in Chicago.
Joe is working his usual type of case, serving papers, when the scene erupts in unexpected violence and his target is dead on the floor. And off he goes, into the sleazy world of porn DVDs, hookers, and assorted other vices. Dragging him in even deeper is retired judge Peter Rifkin, an old friend of his father's with whom there's a complicated past, and a missing childhood friend who's suspected of killing his latest girlfriend. Needless to say, the two mysteries seem to be joining together into one tale of greed, corruption, sex and violence. Throw in an ex-wife that Joe hasn't gotten over, an ex-partner cop who's fighting for his life after being shot, some Vietnamese brothers of the victim who are out for revenge, and a new cop who has more than a passing interest in Mr. Kozmarski, and you have all of the elements of a classic noir novel, one where there's many shades of gray. Plus an 11-year old nephew dumped into Joe's life just to make things a bit more complicated.
A fine start, great location, good combination of violence and humor.
Joe is working his usual type of case, serving papers, when the scene erupts in unexpected violence and his target is dead on the floor. And off he goes, into the sleazy world of porn DVDs, hookers, and assorted other vices. Dragging him in even deeper is retired judge Peter Rifkin, an old friend of his father's with whom there's a complicated past, and a missing childhood friend who's suspected of killing his latest girlfriend. Needless to say, the two mysteries seem to be joining together into one tale of greed, corruption, sex and violence. Throw in an ex-wife that Joe hasn't gotten over, an ex-partner cop who's fighting for his life after being shot, some Vietnamese brothers of the victim who are out for revenge, and a new cop who has more than a passing interest in Mr. Kozmarski, and you have all of the elements of a classic noir novel, one where there's many shades of gray. Plus an 11-year old nephew dumped into Joe's life just to make things a bit more complicated.
A fine start, great location, good combination of violence and humor.
February 9, 2016
Twenty-something pages into Mike Wiley's first Joe Kozmarski caper, I'm already liking the guy. Joe has just witnessed the first of three murders in the story...a man who ran a store selling hookahs and porn videos. Hey, it was just a favor for a lawyer friend... dunning the shop owner for back child support payments. The private eye business is slow.
The next morning, Joe awakes from sleeping on the sagging couch in his office on South Wabash Street. He glimpses a bit of Lake Michigan out his window, runs around Grant Park without a shirt, and has breakfast at a joint down the block owned by three Greek brothers.
A telephone call and business picks up. A judge kicked off the bench wants a $15k favor. A young Vietnamese-American gal named Hanh has been found at the O'Hare Hilton with her throat cut. The judge's business partner is a suspect.
And so we follow Joe into the mean streets of the Windy City followed by Hanh's revenge-seeking brothers, Chinh and Lanh. To the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where Hanh studied art. To Club 9 where Hanh partied too hard. To a cinder-block $30 a night motel where Hanh modeled a $8,000 blue Chinese ceremonial robe. To her swank apartment with a doorman and purple and chrome furniture.
Wiley has written a "soft" hard-boiled story that was hard enough to be honored with a PWA award in a contest for best first private-eye novel.
Soft? I forgot to tell you about Joe's mother who leaves bigos in the frig of his fixer-upper house, the friendly ex-wife Corinne and a Chicago cop named Lucinda who keeps putting her hand on his thigh.
So come join me after this read at the The Bad Kitty Lounge, the next book in the series. I'm pretty sure the women in Joe's life will be there, too.
The next morning, Joe awakes from sleeping on the sagging couch in his office on South Wabash Street. He glimpses a bit of Lake Michigan out his window, runs around Grant Park without a shirt, and has breakfast at a joint down the block owned by three Greek brothers.
A telephone call and business picks up. A judge kicked off the bench wants a $15k favor. A young Vietnamese-American gal named Hanh has been found at the O'Hare Hilton with her throat cut. The judge's business partner is a suspect.
And so we follow Joe into the mean streets of the Windy City followed by Hanh's revenge-seeking brothers, Chinh and Lanh. To the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where Hanh studied art. To Club 9 where Hanh partied too hard. To a cinder-block $30 a night motel where Hanh modeled a $8,000 blue Chinese ceremonial robe. To her swank apartment with a doorman and purple and chrome furniture.
Wiley has written a "soft" hard-boiled story that was hard enough to be honored with a PWA award in a contest for best first private-eye novel.
Soft? I forgot to tell you about Joe's mother who leaves bigos in the frig of his fixer-upper house, the friendly ex-wife Corinne and a Chicago cop named Lucinda who keeps putting her hand on his thigh.
So come join me after this read at the The Bad Kitty Lounge, the next book in the series. I'm pretty sure the women in Joe's life will be there, too.
October 11, 2016
To begin, I did enjoy the narrator, Johnny Heller. I have listened to many audio books in the past five years and to be honest have quit listening to some books just because I could not stand the narrators voice.
So for me this was a huge plus in my book.
The protagonist, Joe Kozmarski, is a private detective in Chicago. Like most PI stories, he has a grittier life with his own issues and finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and all the women in the story want to sleep with him.
So there are parts of the story that are very predictable, but the actual story line was a bit more out there and harder to predict. A woman is killed and he has hired by the lead suspects lawyer, who happens to be an long time friend/foe, to find out who really killed her. He goes through the usual trail of evidence and runs into some deaths and bumps along the way, but in the end he finds the killer, though it is not what you expect.
Overall I would agree it was a good story and overall I mostly liked it, but it was a little grittier than I prefer and some of the story line is a bit on the cheesier end for me. Though if you like detective stories and want a day or twos worth of listening, I would still suggest you give it a try. You may enjoy it more than me.
So for me this was a huge plus in my book.
The protagonist, Joe Kozmarski, is a private detective in Chicago. Like most PI stories, he has a grittier life with his own issues and finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time and all the women in the story want to sleep with him.
So there are parts of the story that are very predictable, but the actual story line was a bit more out there and harder to predict. A woman is killed and he has hired by the lead suspects lawyer, who happens to be an long time friend/foe, to find out who really killed her. He goes through the usual trail of evidence and runs into some deaths and bumps along the way, but in the end he finds the killer, though it is not what you expect.
Overall I would agree it was a good story and overall I mostly liked it, but it was a little grittier than I prefer and some of the story line is a bit on the cheesier end for me. Though if you like detective stories and want a day or twos worth of listening, I would still suggest you give it a try. You may enjoy it more than me.
February 27, 2008
I should have liked this book more than I did. Mostly I just walked away from it with a shrug.
Even with a very winding plot and many people being shot I still managed to know who commited the crime, and then not be surprised with how the whole thing played out. And even now, only a day after finishing the book. I can't rememeber any solid details about it.
Mostly just a forgettable mystery novel about an ex-cop, ex-junkie and ex-alcoholic who gets the job done.
Although, if you are into that sort of thing, I say HAVE AT IT!
Even with a very winding plot and many people being shot I still managed to know who commited the crime, and then not be surprised with how the whole thing played out. And even now, only a day after finishing the book. I can't rememeber any solid details about it.
Mostly just a forgettable mystery novel about an ex-cop, ex-junkie and ex-alcoholic who gets the job done.
Although, if you are into that sort of thing, I say HAVE AT IT!
June 21, 2011
This was a new author for me and I think it's safe to say that I am hooked on the main character, Joe Kozmarski. The character was smart, tough, a wise-ass and just a little bit broken. The characters were wonderfully written and the book just makes you feel like you slipped into their world. I lived in Chicago for a few years, which is where this story is based, so I found that to be an extra bonus. The story had a really great flow...not too simple, yet not too unrealistic. I hear this is a series, so I am set to read the Bad Kitty Lounge next. Can't wait!
April 24, 2010
This was a very enjoyable, very well-written mystery. I admit I have become somewhat skeptical when I am contacted by an author recommending their own book, but Michael Wiley had a good reason to with this one!
Set in Chicago; wise-ass, semi-hard-boiled, broken PI. Good characters, good dialogue, and I love to read books set in believable ways in my hometown. Good mystery - excellent twists, some I didn't see coming.
Now I just have to wait for #2, coming out later this year!
Set in Chicago; wise-ass, semi-hard-boiled, broken PI. Good characters, good dialogue, and I love to read books set in believable ways in my hometown. Good mystery - excellent twists, some I didn't see coming.
Now I just have to wait for #2, coming out later this year!
April 1, 2010
This was a fun read that I knocked out in 24-hours, including lots of twists, turns, reversals, betrayals, and glock around the clock. This book seems to focus more on characterization than most mysteries, and the opening narrative is well-done. The protagonist is compelling and the female characters are better written than in comparable titles.
February 21, 2015
[library audiobook, plot details elsewhere]
Partway through the first disk of the audiobook, I realized that I had listened to this before, with a very limited and hazy memory of the plot. Then I remembered that I had ditched out of the earlier listen for something more interesting. Other reviews note that this was Wiley's first novel, I might read another to see if it is more coherent.
Partway through the first disk of the audiobook, I realized that I had listened to this before, with a very limited and hazy memory of the plot. Then I remembered that I had ditched out of the earlier listen for something more interesting. Other reviews note that this was Wiley's first novel, I might read another to see if it is more coherent.
January 7, 2016
I chose to read this book because I read another book,
, that he wrote and thought it was pretty good. This one was okay too, I think some of the scenes were unnecessary and several very unbelievable but overall, a decent mystery/crime drama.
, that he wrote and thought it was pretty good. This one was okay too, I think some of the scenes were unnecessary and several very unbelievable but overall, a decent mystery/crime drama.
November 20, 2009
Set in modern times, but reminiscent of some of the noir mysteries, this was a pretty good first mystery novel with plenty of twists and some interesting characters. I'll be interested to see if Mr. Wiley continues these characters in his new book.
May 13, 2013
Kinda tired of PI novels, yet this one worked for me. Tricky enough plot to keep me interested without guessing the outcome, and I wasn't bored by the bits of our hero's personal life. Lean straightforward prose helped, too.
Want to read
October 26, 2007bought at booksigning MOTB 10/24
April 18, 2008
I am just starting this book, but i think I'll be glad to write a greater review later.
March 26, 2013
An okay read. Some super cheesy parts and too predictable.
February 3, 2015
good first novel--noir-ish with decent characterizations; twisty mystery with good sense of place.
March 23, 2016
It started out well, but the voice of the reader didn't match the protagonists character and I could have done without the obligatory sex scenes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews