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Leo Waterman #1

Who In Hell Is Wanda Fuca?

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Leo Waterman was born and bred in Seattle, Washington, and his father had contacts that ranged from the highest offices to the lowest dives. Those contacts are useful in Leo's pursuit of a profession as a private investigator.
Of course, as a not-completely-rehabilitated hippie, Leo does go about things his own way. His best legmen (and women) are folks he knows from the kinds of bars the tourist board doesn't acknowledge, and they live wherever they can - including the streets. It makes They're virtually invisible.
With all that going for him, it's no wonder that Waterman receives the kind of call he can't refuse from aging mobster Tim Flood. Tim's granddaughter, Caroline, is involved in something and she won't talk about it. Beautiful, willful, and her grandfather's kin, she's been able to get around anyone he's sent after her.
So, Leo gets his marching Bring Caroline home. Safe.
Unfortunately, the crowd she's running with has its own agenda ... and Caroline really does want to do something about the environment....

314 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

317 people are currently reading
1007 people want to read

About the author

G.M. Ford

34 books219 followers
Gerald M. Ford was the author of the widely praised Frank Corso novels, Fury, Black River, A Blind Eye, Red Tide, No Man's Land, and Blown Away; six highly acclaimed mysteries, featuring Seattle private investigator Leo Waterman; and the stand-alone thriller Nameless Night. A former creative writing teacher in western Washington, Ford lived in San Diego.

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5 stars
649 (28%)
4 stars
946 (40%)
3 stars
565 (24%)
2 stars
109 (4%)
1 star
46 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
Profile Image for Zain.
1,884 reviews286 followers
August 2, 2021
“And So, Hilarity Ensues!”

Leo Waterman and his group of drunken posse are requested by a “friend” to help find a missing woman.

There is a lot of suspicious activity going on at the local bar, located near a reservation.

Leo’s investigation is not going as well as he expected. In fact, he may be in big trouble.

Time to get his posse together. Their help is going to be needed.

These old-timers do their best.

A mystery-thriller, and hilarious to boot. 😊
Profile Image for Tracy  P. .
1,152 reviews12 followers
July 24, 2019
Like the beginning of this series. Already downloaded book #2!
Profile Image for Ivonne Rovira.
2,531 reviews251 followers
November 10, 2025
Sherlock Holmes had his Baker Street Irregulars, bright street urchins who were his eyes and ears on cases. Private eye Leo Waterman his own group of assistants, but they are the opposite of the Baker Street Irregulars: “The Boys,” as Waterman calls them, are four drunks who can barely keep it together. But like the Baker Street Irregulars, the Boys are loyal, and Waterman is loyal to them.

A semi-retired Seattle crime boss summons Waterman and hires him — not that Waterman had much say in the matter — to rescue his granddaughter from her latest crusade: environmental terrorism. The granddaughter, the entitled, headstrong Caroline Nobel, proves a difficult capture. At the same time, Waterman stumbles onto a large-scale racket worth killing over. Author G.M. Ford weaves a taut novel readers will love.

A deus ex machina helps to bring this book to a satisfying conclusion, but readers won’t care after having spent their time on this fun, suspenseful rollercoaster of a novel. It’s the first of a series, and I can’t wait to read the sequels.
Profile Image for Kathy.
3,868 reviews290 followers
August 22, 2018
Recently read book #11 and liked it so much I decided to circle back to the beginning. I found it to be a great introduction to Leo and his group of friends. The challenges to his wits, stamina and ability to stay a step or two ahead of trouble sometimes fails, but there are many hilarious moments tucked within the serious threats. The threat to the environment was a major theme as Leo was hired to watch out for a wealthy man's highly spirited granddaughter mixed up with a wacky group.
I have many books to look forward to and will hope that there will be more that offer this level of humour.
Available through Kindle Unlimited
Profile Image for Ed.
678 reviews67 followers
August 20, 2017
Leo Waterman is an exceptionally entertaining character with a laugh out loud wit but I found the environmental activism/American Indian plot lines a little too preachy. I'm not giving up on Leo and his unusually charismatic associates though and will keep hope alive for subsequent books in the series.
Profile Image for C..
74 reviews16 followers
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January 11, 2014
Goodread reviews of this book seem less excited than Amazon reviews, which tried to tell me the book was hilarious. It was not. It was a lighter read than the average crime thriller, certainly, but hardly "hilarious." Overall, it was okay. I haven't read a PI mystery newer than 1960, so I was curious to see what their more modern brothers are like. Nothing special, if this book is an example.

There was one point in the book, however, where there was a moment of lucid humanity that touched me. A Native American woman was recounting the tragic history of her tribe, of which Leo Waterman, our main character, knew little. He confessed so, "But I know about voids," he told her.

Her anger boiled to the surface, dragging mine with it.

“What do you know about voids?" [she demanded.]

"I know that my friend Buddy Knox [a homeless man] was every bit as invisible to the society that surrounded him as your people are. I know that Buddy had some kind of massive hole inside of him that he tried to drink full. Maybe the void wasn't forced on him. Maybe in some way it was. I don't know. It was there. The void is there for a lot of us. It's not an Indian thing or a white thing. It's a people thing. I know you can live smack in the middle of white culture and not be a part of it. All you've got to do is get outside the limits. The minute you become something they don't want to look at, they stop looking at you. It's that simple. You join the void. That much I'm sure of." I decided to shut up before I got myself in trouble.


Something there touched me. It reminded me of a time when I more easily became angry, when I more easily ranted, when the trials of the invisible people hurt me more deeply. At that point, I had to put down the book, and simply sat quietly for a long while.

Overall, the book wasn't that great. But it reminded me of something important, which many more enjoyable reads fail to do. I can't say I would recommend the book to anyone, but if I myself should ever stumble across some of his other books, I'd probably pick it up and give it try.
Profile Image for Fee.
211 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2019
For a tale of thriller and to have such title, I expected this book to be fast-paced and have a gripping mystery surrounding the title, but it was far from my expectations. However, the characters are (strangely) memorable, maybe for their quirks. And for that, it wasn't a disappointing read, but it could've been better, in a way, if I took more interest in this case Leo Waterman tried to solve. What I expected to be a casual suspenseful read turned out to be a study on characters and dialogues in the end, because I believe there lies the strength of this book. Would probably give it another try if I ever get to read this author's other works.
Profile Image for Eleanor.
5 reviews
August 19, 2023
Found this book in a free library!
I liked the beginning and middle - Interesting social commentary on the environmental movement woven into a PI mystery in the PNW.
The ending was disappointing- Rushed, weirdly twisted, kinda homophobic?
I have mixed feelings.
Profile Image for João  Jorge.
129 reviews22 followers
June 10, 2014
This is a safe bet for lovers of the PI genre. It has a healthy mix of humor, investigation and even a bit of heart. It does have a few problems. Leo Waterman is mostly a “blank” character, without much personality besides a “bit” of a drinking problem and some recollections about a “larger than life” politician father, long dead. He´s never really developed in either of those aspects, though, and as a result he´s a somewhat stale, bland protagonist. Its amusing and realistic how he´s not a complete badass, kicking the hell out of bad guys left and right but more or less, useless when “the going gets tough” but its not enough to make him stick out in a genre so saturated with much more complex and interesting main characters.
The writing is decent, with some very realistic and sometimes funny dialogs and the book moves along at a good pace. The plot, when its all said and done, is decidedly silly but there are enough twists and turns and interesting characters to keep things entertaining. The ending is tense and satisfying and I will surely read more of the series.
Its a well written, amusing and entertaining tale. It wont leave a lasting impression or figure in your favorites list but its definitely successful in providing a few relaxed hours.
Profile Image for Patricia.
838 reviews
August 3, 2014
This is the beginning of a wonderful ride! In his creation Leo Waterman, G. M. Ford gives the world a splendid, intense, but somewhat flawed man. In fact, Leo is so flawed (as noted by his father) that his father's will has stipulated that he cannot inherit the fortune his father acquired through various legal, but mostly illegal, means, until he is quite past new adulthood. Thus his unconventional means of making of living - as a hired detective.
He does not go about this alone, but rather has a group of misfits, street rats, who assist him by working in the background where only the invisible can be.
Working in this environment, certain - well - insufficiencies - must be accepted. Thus the title - Who the Hell is Wanda Fuca! (Juan de Fuca, as in the Straits of).
In what would become a hallmark of the Leo Waterman stories, suspense builds, bodies drops, and eventually, after Leo and his cronies are in dire trouble, even nearly murdered, he discovers the source of the troubles, the miscreants are either destroyed or hauled off to jail, and something like peace reigns ... although, only until the next book!
Profile Image for LJ.
3,159 reviews305 followers
October 2, 2008
WHO IN THE HELL IS WANDA FUCA - Ex
Ford, G. M. - 1st in Leo Waterman series

Leo Waterman, a Seattle private detective, is hired by elderly mobster Tim Flood, who wants Leo to find his granddaughter and bring her home safely.

1996 Top Read - This was one of those wonderful surprises that make you close the book and say "Wow!". Great protagonist and unique secondary characters. Loved it!
1,082 reviews14 followers
March 18, 2020
I almost dropped this when the Teamsters of the 1950s showed up but I persevered and had a roaring good time although there are many of my friends who would not like the description of the reservation residents. I don't either but look at the other residents and the portraits of the non-indigenous characters.
My actual favourite moment is the arrival of the car at the elder's home. Caroline cries out in joy about a shaman and cedar clothes and then they are met at the door by the elegant doctor of anthropology with her hair in a french roll and wearing a tailored blue and white dress. Very good.
The realization that the ecological group has been taken over by hoodlums is interesting but surely the group would have resisted more strongly. Perhaps not if they felt the end justified the means. That's a dark road to go down.
I liked Leo's crew even though I have no relationship with alcohol and have to take them as portrayed.
You do have to remember that this was written in 1995 so people are actually walking down the street to find a payphone and no one has a GPS. Leo probably wouldn't have had one any way.
I definitely enjoyed this enough to look out the rest of the series and for once I actually started with the first book.
Profile Image for Jon.
1,456 reviews
August 20, 2020
I read this book back when it was new in 1995, long before there was a Goodreads and almost before there was an internet. I just re-read it, having also read some of the more recent ones in the series, and I think in some ways it's improved over time. I remembered it as being disjointed and a little out of control, but still very entertaining for a first book. Now I'd say the author had a lot of different ideas he was trying to squeeze in, and he pretty much succeeded. He was ahead of his time in dealing with American Indian issues, but his detective has a group of Baker Street Irregulars to help him--homeless men and women, middle-class folks who got screwed by the system and fell into drunken, drug-addled poverty. They are endearing and unreliable, but life-savers in the end. That whole trope doesn't wear very well.
Profile Image for Beth Brekke.
169 reviews35 followers
December 23, 2025
As at least one other reviewer said, "The title is the best thing about this".

Great title and very intriguing synopsis but a rather disappointing delivery. The title would have really helped the cause had it had anything to do with the story--it was mentioned once (Juan de Fuca-look it up) but that was it and other than possibly some context related to the setting of the story, it was meaningless. The gangsters mentioned were also very minor and the street folks were interesting but not utilized the best. Then there were the other 847 people to try to keep track of over the many months it took me to read this. The lengthy timeline is on me and I'm giving this a 3-star rating for benefit of the doubt as it likely is at least average if done without large gaps between reading sessions.
Profile Image for Pam.
1,097 reviews
January 2, 2021
I read this book when it was nominated for a mystery award back in 1995. Very old school (e.g., early Connelly, Coben, Lehane) but enjoyed the setting and revisiting what was state of the art.
Profile Image for Stacy.
316 reviews12 followers
January 14, 2014
I go back and forth between a 3 and a 4 star on this, so maybe a 3.5 would be the most accurate. I originally read this because an author friend suggested it as a good example of strong dialogue. The plot synopsis didn't grab me and I almost decided to skip it, but read a few chapters and decided I wanted to read more. The dialogue is fun though with a bit more of an edge to it than the books I tend to read (a bit more cussing and more description of blood and gore in deaths). I think of it as a more modern example of Raymond Chandler - not quite as many effective one liners, but close. The title itself was entertaining, but I was glad the author explained it as I hadn't heard that pun before.
The characters were well drawn - especially the four guys he uses as his main informants - and the dialogue flowed easily. The protagonist, Leo Waterman, feels like he may have been modeled after Philip Marlowe, but Waterman's Seattle is more oddball than the tough L.A. settings Raymond Chandler set Marlowe in. I did love the adaptation of Holmes' Baker Street Irregulars in which instead of using small street urchins (who obviously aren't in fresh supply in late 20th century U.S. as they were in Victorian London) Waterman uses homeless people as friends and informants to get information. I've seen modern shows like Elementary adapt a similar idea. I'm not sure if Ford was the first one to come up with this idea, but he is the first author I have read to do it which made it entertaining. Sometimes I did feel that Ford's ideas were a bit cliche for mysteries. For example the opening scene of Leo Waterman trying awkwardly to talk a guy down from the ledge and the ensuing pandemonium felt like something straight out of a Lethal Weapon plot. However, overall I found the plot to be well done. I enjoyed the twist at the end and the fact that the protagonist wasn't superman and got beat up and lost fights as often as he won them. Since this appears to be the author's first book, I'm looking forward to seeing how the writing improves over time and intend to continue the series.
Profile Image for Greg Tymn.
144 reviews6 followers
January 26, 2015
I've read 3 of the Leo Waterman series to date. This first in the series books was nominated for a Shamus, among other awards. Written in 1995, the story holds up well in today's world (although I don't know if Seattle has pay phones any longer).

I've become a fan. The mixture of good storytelling, irony and humor captures the essence of a fine detective novel and can stand alongside other giants of the genre. With one exception, this was a perfectly executed novel. I highly recommend it.

The exception? It is rare to find an author who truly understands the firearms that they write about. As far as I know, there are no "80 round" magazines available for assault hardware. More importantly, Leo carrying 4 loaded 80-round magazines plus the carbine would be around 30 pounds. Not likely for a civilian, even a PI. I'd suggest consulting with a firearms aficianado prior to putting errors in print.
Profile Image for Eliana.
453 reviews4 followers
Read
April 5, 2014
Funny, funny, improbable and lovable characters. Set in Seattle where the lone P.I. solves cases with the help of his version of the Baker Street regulars, a bunch of winos from downtown's Pioneer Square. Well written, political humor and atypical shamus investigations form the basis of these novels.
Profile Image for David Beck.
884 reviews13 followers
June 3, 2014
A surprisingly good story about a private investigator who uses street people to help him with his job. Leo gets involved in a case of eco-terrorism and illegal waste dumping at the behest of a mobster friend. Explosions, murders, and lots of mayhem later Leo is able to bring the bad people to justice.
1,106 reviews8 followers
April 26, 2014
i have read several of g. m. ford's books and have enjoyed them all. i decided to go back and read his first leo waterman book. i was not disappointed. a good story. actually still current after 20 years.
Profile Image for Pamela Allen.
221 reviews
September 17, 2014
If you live in or know the Seattle area in general this series is fun to read. It is nice to be able to picture what is going on and where it is happening. In addition, the author does a couple of things to make it an enjoyable read.
11 reviews
January 12, 2015
Leo Waterman, his operatives, and Seattle and its neighboring locations form an entertaining mix. Although once Leo said he had a stopping problem, not a drinking problem, in this first book of the Leo Waterman series, he remains sober.
Profile Image for Francis.
610 reviews23 followers
June 23, 2014
Dated but humorous and fun to read, including a great collection of characters.
Profile Image for Karin .
81 reviews
February 14, 2015
Different

Enjoyed the action and use of "street people" as integral characters in the story. I read this book before but forgot. It was well worth a second read.
Profile Image for Kathryn.
152 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2015
Fun read. I have never been to Seattle, but this mystery created a great sense of place. Good characters too.
55 reviews1 follower
May 17, 2015
It is a really good idea to read this book. Tricky, funny, complicated characters and a good mystery. You'll see.
Profile Image for Marianne Douglas.
482 reviews29 followers
June 6, 2015
Funny, funny, funny !!! Enjoyed every word ... can't wait 'til I read the next Leo Waterman episode ... if he was real, this is one guy I'd love to meet ... alas, only in books!!!
Profile Image for M. Sprouse.
719 reviews3 followers
June 29, 2019
I read the second book of this series first, just because it was available. After reading both I had the same reaction, "Damn:". They hang there in limbo between four and five stars. For both I settle on four,with a slight nod going to the second book, (take that sophomore jinx). G.M. Ford does an excellent job of making you like his Leo Waterman protagonist and getting him into interesting, though dangerous situations. As an avid reader of PI books, I think Leo might just be too good to be true. However, "Damn". His cadre of down and out assistants are amusing, but Mr. Ford should be careful that they don't hijack the novels.

As mentioned Leo often acts in ways that aren't too smart or safe, but you'll follow him all the way and like it. I was a little disappointed with Caroline Nobel, the author started her out fine. She didn't develop much after the initial meeting and had loads of potential in being bad and "bad" in a good way. Also, thought the title was a bit poor. I don't think I've ever commented about a book's title, but seriously, it was from one line that just wasn't that clever. The ending and a few of the twist weren't too hard to predict, but G.M. Fords writing and Leo keep you engaged. The strengths far outweigh the short comings. I recommend and plan on reading every last book in the series.
Profile Image for Damo.
480 reviews72 followers
August 20, 2018
There’s a lot to like about this first book in the Leo Waterman series by G.M. Ford. The tone tends towards the humorous and features the main protagonist who is a P.I. working in Seattle, Washington.

His main point of difference, the thing that keeps him fresh, is the fact that he uses a gang of homeless people as his eyes and ears on a case. There are many obvious downsides to using this group of drunks and misfits as well as potential for some amusing moments. But there is also the big benefit that these people go largely ignored by the general population, making them great when working surveillance.

In the first case in which we have the privilege of following, Leo is hired by aging mobster (and friend of Leo’s late father) Tim Flood to return his granddaughter home. The granddaughter, Caroline Nobel, is hanging with a bunch of wannabe environmentalists who express their views in fairly extreme ways.

From eco-terrorism, illegal waste dumping on an unprecedented scale and murder, the stakes ramp up quickly and the action rarely lets up. This is a very solid detective story that combines a multi-faceted mystery with some good humour, engaging characters and straight-shooting plotting.
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