Cece Caruso is a detective firmly ensconced in the noir genre, with the mad capers of Hammett et al. being templates for her investigative jaunts. Susan Kandel’s female detective is tough, sassy and Sam Spade-obsessed to a fault. While one might not see how a demure female can pull off impersonating a hard man such as Spade, the mental toughness belies all thoughts of petite daintliness. Cece is tasked with solving a case involving the companion of one Rafe Simic, a Hollywood heart-throb who weakens feminine knees the world over. Luckily, Cece is immune to his charms and reminds herself that this leftover of the hippie-generation can barely read, even if he can look good and surf.
We learn some more random facts about California, such as which beaches provide the best surf and which ones to avoid because of surf nazis. The plot proceeds with its usual twists and turns and we are entertained along the way by Kandel’s merry prose. Perhaps the bugbear of expectations is reduced when dealing with the exploits of a female shamus, after all, she can hardly go around slugging rough types in barroom brawls. It is precisely this endearing quality which keeps you glued to the end of the book and the killer is revealed.
ISBN: 978-0-06-0581091