#13 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . .
A slick con man, posing as a recent immigrant from County Mayo all alone in America, is preying on the clannish loyalties of the Irish community in Cleveland for gifts, money, and other less tangible treats. When Common Pleas Judge Maureen Hartigan realizes she's been bamboozled, she and her daughter, Cathleen, hire private eye Milan Jacovich (it's pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) to chase down the swindler.
But the con man turns up dead in a skanky motel room, and Milan finds himself tangled in the world of the local Irish godfather, Con McCardle, who is connected with the IRA.
Milan also finds himself once again face-to-face with Cathleen Hartigan, an old flame that never quite kindled. Their own feelings clash with the more urgent need to solve a murder.
Milan learns a lot about Irish customs and cultures—including “the Irish sports pages.”
Reviews
“[A] roller coaster ride of a mystery . . . Roberts speeds the reader through an investigation offering plenty of delicious twists and turns without ever compromising credibility.” - Publisher's Weekly
“Typically entertaining: plotting, characterization, and setting dovetail into an excellent reading experience for mystery fans. Jacovich is tough and intelligent and possesses enough self-awareness to make him very good company indeed. Heartily recommended.” - Booklist
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.