Lovable everyman Lew Fonesca, the Man Who Makes Things Work in Sarasota, is once again faced with cases that try his patience and test his sanity.
A local curmudgeon who has been campaigning to end state-sponsored school funding is brutally killed. A recent graduate of a public high school for the gifted is arrested for the crime and turns to Lew for help. A semiretired and much beloved singer of children's songs is being anonymously pushed to leave Sarasota, threatened with exposure as a sexual predator. It is up to Lew to uncover the blackmailer and determine whether there is any truth to the accusation.
Lew has decided that life is worth more than just going through the motions. But will the good life that Lew so richly deserves elude him as he uncovers some very sad truths? His final choice: do the right thing and see his happiness evaporate … or betray a trust and stay happy....
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"really good language, thoughts and suspensful at a measured pacereally fine book - do like the authors' books set in WWII better but lot of thoughtful comment on life and human motivation without be3ing didactic "
— Jim (4 out of 5 stars)
“A wonderful excursion into a strange world that ends all too soon.”
— AudioFile“Kaminsky provides enough twists and turns to keep most readers guessing, but the books power comes from the compelling portrayal of Fonseca, who still suffers emotionally from his wife's death, but continues to strive to move forward.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Kaminsky sees goodness in the oddest characters, which is why Lew is still alive, and why we're still reading.”
— New York Times“A nice juggling act—of crime, humor and sentiment.”
— Washington Post" I hadn't read anything by this author before. Humorous, and good tale. "
— Cyndee, 7/25/2010" Another good story about Lew Fonesca and his slow recovery from the death of his wife. What I really like about this series is that the characters change and grow over time. "
— Frank, 11/23/2009" This was fun but not fabulous. I read this series for the characters first, then the plot. The mystery wasn't much of one his time, but I enjoyed catching up with the characters. "
— Jennifer, 6/30/2009" I like the narrator in the novel. Some of the sidekicks need not be mention - it seems that the mention of them further characterize the narrator. This isn't necessary "
— Kerry, 4/22/2009" Not as good as a Porfiry Petrovich book, but a good read. His characters are indeed "characters" <br/> <br/>Kaminsky is one of my favorite authors. "
— Kerry, 3/19/2009" It's nice to have another Lew Fonesca book, though this one's stretches credulity a bit. Still prefer the Abe Lieberman series, though I like some of the regulars in this one. "
— Lynn, 3/17/2009Stuart Kaminsky (1934–2009) was one of the most prolific crime fiction authors of the last four decades. He wrote sixty books in all and penned twenty-four novels starring the detective Toby Peters, whom he described as “the anti–Philip Marlowe.” In 1981’s Death of a Dissident, he debuted Moscow police detective Porfiry Rostnikov, whose stories were praised for their accurate depiction of Soviet life. His other two series starred Abe Lieberman, a hardened Chicago cop, and Lew Fonseca, a process server. Born in Chicago, he spent his youth immersed in pulp fiction and classic cinema—two forms of popular entertainment which he would make his life’s work. After college and a stint in the army, he wrote film criticism and biographies of the great actors and directors of Hollywood’s Golden Age. In 1977, when a planned biography of Charlton Heston fell through, he wrote Bullet for a Star, his first Toby Peters novel, beginning a fiction career that would last the rest of his life.
Michael McConnohie has appeared in soap operas, cartoons, prime-time television, and on stage. His audiobook readings have ranged from true crime to history, biography, science, self-help, and poetry. He has seen much of the world as a supervisor of foreign versions of major American films and has written and directed English versions of many prominent foreign films. He believes that a good book is a friend you can visit over and over again and always enjoy the conversation.