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Stefan Kopriva Mystery #2
Lovely, Dark, and Deep: Stefan Kopriva Mystery Series, Book 2
A city councilman is dead of an apparent suicide. Ex-cop Stefan Kopriva finds himself drawn into the case, serving an unlikely client. Once involved, he discovers that things are not as they seem.
Kopriva is quickly embroiled in dirty city politics. Along the way, he encounters pimps, prostitutes, gangsters, contractors, and the police as he tries to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. That is something no one wants, so Kopriva must risk his own freedom and his very life to find the answers, no matter how deep the corruption goes.
* Lovely, Dark, and Deep and all of the Stefan Kopriva Mysteries are set in the River City Universe, and are canon.
Kopriva is quickly embroiled in dirty city politics. Along the way, he encounters pimps, prostitutes, gangsters, contractors, and the police as he tries to get to the bottom of what happened, and why. That is something no one wants, so Kopriva must risk his own freedom and his very life to find the answers, no matter how deep the corruption goes.
* Lovely, Dark, and Deep and all of the Stefan Kopriva Mysteries are set in the River City Universe, and are canon.
Audible Audio
First published October 14, 2012
16 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Frank Zafiro
145 books99 followersA former police officer, Frank writes gritty crime fiction from both sides of the badge.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 27, 2023
Terrific!
Great characters that come to life.. some new ones in this Book 2 and dare I say, one real keeper! Really enjoying the series, and you will too.
Great characters that come to life.. some new ones in this Book 2 and dare I say, one real keeper! Really enjoying the series, and you will too.
December 29, 2023
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a PI Mystery. Stef Kopriva used to be a cop, but that was ten years ago. A shooting, a wrong call, and a deep, personal relationship with a liquor bottle took him from a stand-up guy to the bottom of the barrel. He’s unofficially in the business of doing favors for people who need help. This time it’s a pimp who needs a poor but clean White boy to look into who put one of his girls in the hospital.
Bottom line: Lovely, Dark, and Deep is for you if you like gritty heroes so far from perfect they’re exactly what a story needs.
Strengths of the story. Kopriva is a well-developed character, having been part of Zafiro’s River City series and then taking the lead in Waist Deep and several short stories. You get to know his backstory through cops who won’t let Stef forget what he did.
The premise for this story is simple but interesting. Stef and his coffee buddy, Adam, watch an odd exchange featuring one of the most beautiful women either have seen. A year after Rolo, a pimp who runs a good part of River City’s night life, beat him and took Stef’s prized possession, the man comes knocking. One of his girls was beaten to within an inch of her life, he needs to know who did it. That’s all Stef has to do. Rolo will take it from there.
But it isn’t as simple as Stef or Rolo hope. It never is when Stef is involved, which is what keeps those pages turning.
Where the story fell short of ideal: Standing at the end and looking back, this story is pretty solid. Zafiro excels at endings that complete the story, but aren’t happy endings. Without giving anything away, the guilty characters are too smart to run their mouths for the likes of me. So we know whodunnit. The how and why are a little less firm.
Bottom line: Lovely, Dark, and Deep is for you if you like gritty heroes so far from perfect they’re exactly what a story needs.
Strengths of the story. Kopriva is a well-developed character, having been part of Zafiro’s River City series and then taking the lead in Waist Deep and several short stories. You get to know his backstory through cops who won’t let Stef forget what he did.
The premise for this story is simple but interesting. Stef and his coffee buddy, Adam, watch an odd exchange featuring one of the most beautiful women either have seen. A year after Rolo, a pimp who runs a good part of River City’s night life, beat him and took Stef’s prized possession, the man comes knocking. One of his girls was beaten to within an inch of her life, he needs to know who did it. That’s all Stef has to do. Rolo will take it from there.
But it isn’t as simple as Stef or Rolo hope. It never is when Stef is involved, which is what keeps those pages turning.
Where the story fell short of ideal: Standing at the end and looking back, this story is pretty solid. Zafiro excels at endings that complete the story, but aren’t happy endings. Without giving anything away, the guilty characters are too smart to run their mouths for the likes of me. So we know whodunnit. The how and why are a little less firm.
March 5, 2022
Stef does it again!
I love that Frank Zafiro continues with books about the original characters in the first book in the series! Would really like to read another about Thomas Chrism.
I love that Frank Zafiro continues with books about the original characters in the first book in the series! Would really like to read another about Thomas Chrism.
October 31, 2020
Reads like a 1940's noir enjoyed this book
July 22, 2023
Better than the first in the series. I liked the narrator in the audiobook.
May 21, 2021
Stefan was street smart, why Rolo asked him, he didn’t want to scare away clientele by him asking. Monique had said yes to going away with Tate, he was excited and wouldn’t commit suicide.
Was it suicide or murder, the plot seemed good. With Stefan trying to investigate, the story went flat, people getting angry when he came to ask questions and he didn’t know what to do. Lost interest in it,.
Was it suicide or murder, the plot seemed good. With Stefan trying to investigate, the story went flat, people getting angry when he came to ask questions and he didn’t know what to do. Lost interest in it,.
January 29, 2015
Not a waste of time
I chose this rating because the book was not a complete waste of time. Pretty straightforward and easy to understand. The problem with Zafario is he is for the beginner reader. But sometimes you need a quick read. So this book is not a complete waste of time. So read and enjoy. Life goes on.
I chose this rating because the book was not a complete waste of time. Pretty straightforward and easy to understand. The problem with Zafario is he is for the beginner reader. But sometimes you need a quick read. So this book is not a complete waste of time. So read and enjoy. Life goes on.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews