Red Rosa

Dan Fortune #13

by Dennis Lynds

“Who shoots a bag lady?” the policeman asked. No one had the answer – yet. In this riveting novel set in 1988 New York, private investigator Dan Fortune faces a tough Who’d want to murder Rosa Gruenfeld, nearly ninety years old and a lifelong fiery Communist living in a derelict hotel in the bohemian Chelsea district? In the hospital, confused and hallucinating, she’s visited by son Nicholas, who walked away from her years before, fed up with her Marxist doctrine and her shopping bags of pamphlets and handouts. But Granddaughter Lennie has her own causes, and one of them is Rosa. A rock singer, Lennie hires Dan to uncover the would-be killer. Dan promptly finds himself targeted, too, and the only way he’s going to stop whoever it is, is to find out who in Rosa’s past hated her so much he or she still wanted her dead. From her three husbands to her children and her brother, to the police and to the FBI, Dan is propelled on a trail of history and politics, bitterness and hope. As Kirkus Reviews said, “When it’s all over, the pieces of the puzzle fit with sweet inevitability. Dan survives a variety of attacks to fight the good fight another day. The reader can hope it’s in a story as suspenseful, character-rich, and absorbing as this.”

272 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2017

About the author

Dennis Lynds grew up in New York City and fought in Europe during World War II, earning a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. He studied chemistry(Bachelor) and journalism(Master). After working as a magazine editor in New York, he moved to California in 1965 to write full-time. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America in 1988. Married to thriller author author Gayle Lynds, he lived in California until his death.

Also writes under the names Michael Collins, William Arden, Carl Dekker, John Crowe, Mark Sadler and Maxwell Grant.

Reviews

[Tom Pepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite detective series--this is the case that pushes Dan to leave NY and head for CA. The CPUSA, allusions to the Rubin Carter case, and Dan's usual concerns for the plight of the downtrodden. Very 80s, in many ways, but still great reading.

[Doreen]

Brass

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started good but went downhill quick. Heavy handed and preachy-- the worst of it was that I'd heard that sermon before, many times. Didn't like it the first time.