Poor Dead Cricket

Rafferty #3

by W. Glenn Duncan, Bill Duncan

Radiation leaks. Missing plutonium. And a company that will stop at nothing to contain its secrets. Being a corporate whistleblower can be murder … Sandra ‘Cricket’ Dawes had undeniable proof of dangerous leaks and missing radioactive material at the nuclear facility run by Dormac-Chaffee. She was all set to deliver the incriminating documents to a reporter, then sit back and watch the company get shut down for good. Getting killed was never part of the plan. The Green Army environmental group wants Rafferty to recover the missing files and prove Dormac-Chaffee was behind Sandra’s murder. Simple, right? Rafferty may not know much about nuclear physics but he can tell which direction the wind is blowing. And, in a case where no-one is who they seem, he’ll need to be on high alert for every step. Because as Rafferty closes in on Sandra’s killer, Deadly fallout is headed his way … POOR DEAD CRICKET is the third book in the Rafferty P.I. series by Shamus Award-winning author W. Glenn Duncan. If you’re a fan of Spenser, Reacher, or Elvis Cole, this series is a must-read. Don’t miss another moment of hardboiled, wisecracking action with Rafferty P.I.

Buy POOR DEAD CRICKET today! ................................................................. Praise for Rafferty P.I. “If you like Parker’s Spenser, or Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole you should love the Rafferty series.” - Mark A. Johnson. “Rafferty is the best hardboiled PI of this era.” - Wendy Green. “Any fan of Micky Spillane, the Jack Reacher novels, or Mark Yost's Rick Crane novels should absolutely venture into the world of Rafferty P.I.” - Michael Raabe. “Duncan truly captured the pure essence of the definitive smart-ass private eye in his character Rafferty. Take part Sam Spade with a little Mike Hammer, mix in some Spenser and you have an awesome character.” - Cliff Fausset. “This author goes on my list of great private eye writers along with Kinky Friedman, Elmore Leonard, and Lawrence Sanders.” - Tricia Schiro.

Genres: Fiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

W. Glenn Duncan was a former journalist and pilot who lived in Iowa, Ohio, Florida, Texas and California, before settling in Australia with his wife and three children.

See also Bill Duncan

Reviews

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a private investigator story that is part of the P.I. Rafferty series. This mystery is a murder mystery. The “Cricket” in the title refers to the victim, a young woman with a nickname of Cricket. Was she killed in a mugging gone bad (as the police believe), or because she had proof of radiation leaks by her corporate employer, or because of her affair with her married lover? P.I. Rafferty is hired to at least disprove the police theory and reopen the case, if not out and out discover who killed poor Cricket. It is a very good mystery with lots of clues and lots of possible solutions. The Rafferty character is an interesting and entertaining character. Whenever real violent danger is possible, Rafferty brings along his friend “Cowboy” for extra protection. And there are several points in this mystery where Cowboy’s help is badly needed. All characters in this novel are well drawn and very believable. The dialogue fits the characters and moves the investigation forward. The clues provided support the conclusion, the reader will know all the clues as Rafferty uncovers them. So, no surprise last minute revelations out of left field are used to solve the case. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys private investigator “characters” that display their personalities as they solve their cases.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I've read and am really enjoying the journey. Hardboiled P.I. Rafferty is a throwback to your old time detectives. He uses his street smarts and sense of humour to get to the bottom of whatever case he's on. His humanity shines through when he discovers he seems to be the only one concerned about the death of Cricket, a young woman who unfortunately fell in love with the wrong man. With the help of his longtime girlfriend Hilda and his sidekicks Cowboy and Mimi they try to get to the bottom of a case that seemed simple at the beginning but has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Loved the ending and just wanted to say to Linda - Ha. Ha. Serves you right!!!

[Julian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

9780648037040 on kobo, different cover, 226 pages

The death of a possible environmentalist whistleblower is put down to a mugging - but there are doubts and Rafferty is engaged to stablish that the death is in fact a murder, arranged by the nuclear waste processing plant for whom she worked. Much complication ensues...

An engaging read - Rafferty is competent, amusing, droll; his frequent associates, tiny Mimi and the laconic Cowboy, are a delight, as is Hilda, Rafferty's lover.

[Wpayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Dead Cricket

Well W Glen Duncan you did it again. Love old Rafferty and his gang of merry men. Hilda and Mimi are cool too. Great story fun and exciting read! Now downloading the next adventure.

[Robbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafferty books are hard to put down. This one was typical: fast-paced, Rafferty is an admirable protagonist - he's smart and has a sense of humor, which is important to me and never disappoints. Of course I rate this one 5 starsl.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have been reading Rafferty, you know what you are getting and you know it is going to be really good!