#7 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . .
Private investigator Milan Jacovich (it's pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) goes behind the scenes to uncover scandal, ambition, and intrigue at one of Cleveland's top TV stations as he hunts down the stalker and murderer of a beautiful local television anchor.
Milan has just moved his offices to an old building on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in an area called the Flats. There, he receives a surprise visit from a former love interest, Mary Soderberg, who left him for her influential boss, TV executive Steve Cirini. One of their newscasters, the beautiful Virginia Carville, has been murdered, and Cirini, who was having an affair with her, is the chief suspect. Mary wants Milan to bail her cheating boyfriend out of the jam—for old times' sake.
Milan doesn't like Cirini at all, but takes the case even though he's unsure of the man's innocence. Or is the culprit the obsessive station-manager Nicky Scandalios, the longtime anchorwoman Vivian Truscott, or a survivor of child abuse named Violet Grba? For that matter, could it be Milan's old flame Mary Soderberg herself?
Reviews
“Roberts is a wordsmith of high order, and Collision Bend is a terrific novel of the mean streets.” - Meritorious Mysteries
“Former television producer Roberts writes knowingly of the medium; newscaster sleeping with sales manager makes a timely metaphor for the ethics of broadcast journalism. Roberts affectionately weaves in the history and rich ethnic mix of Milan Jacovich's Cleveland turf.” - Publisher's Weekly
“If John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee lives on, it's in Les Roberts' Milan Jacovich. Like the legendary McGee, Jacovich is a man of principle, a quixotic philosopher, and a gentle giant who's wise, caring, and as confused about life as the rest of us . . . Roberts, who writes some of today's best testosterone-laced PI stories, offers a pithy plot, world-weary but witty dialogue, and an appealing portrait of the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of often-maligned Cleveland. A good choice for all mystery collections.” - Booklist
“The strengths of this book lie in the simplicity of the story and the delightful writing, plotting, and characterization skills of Les Roberts.” - The Plain Dealer
“All is low-key perfection.” - Kirkus Reviews
About Les Roberts
Les Roberts is the author of 14 mystery novels featuring Cleveland detective Milan Jacovich, as well as 9 other books of fiction. The past president of both the Private Eye Writers of America and the American Crime Writer's League, he came to mystery writing after a 24-year career in Hollywood. He was the first producer and head writer of the Hollywood Squares and wrote for the Andy Griffith Show, the Jackie Gleason Show, and the Man from U.N.C.L.E., among others. He has been a professional actor, a singer, a jazz musician, and a teacher. In 2003 he received the Sherwood Anderson Literary Award. A native of Chicago, he now lives in Northeast Ohio.