This was the final book by Nancy that I had to read, and I think that itwas by far the best one! As she's getting involved in yet anothersituation, our murder-prone heroin struggles with some deeply personalissues. She had me intrigued to the very surprising ending! Note: Thelanguage in this book is a lot stronger than in any of her others.
Had Ms. Anna Beth Roper, the proprietess of Cafe Respect, suspected complications with the baggage of the homeless drifter, drop dead gorgeous Laura Bellows who dressed like a New England debutant, she'd have headed for the San Jacinto mountains faster than an Olympian gold medalist. Instead, she gave the young woman a job as waitress to replace another who'd quit simply by vanishing. Still, Ms. Roper would surely have thought twice about adding Laura to her menagerie had she known that her previous waitress lay under the drifting sand not two miles away with a dagger lodged in her pretty neck. Roper is the ringmaster at the cafe, but it's her customers who perform-Ramon Patencio, the handsome Indian big shot from the Spa Casino; Virginia, his dart-throwing secretary whose projectiles might include more than just four-letter words; Roxanna, Roper's fortune telling mother; the bald-headed Curly Bill Smuin, proprietor of the Glad Hand Saloon up the street; a Puerto Rican cook whose chili-soaked specials once caused a law suit; the FBI-and does Palm Springs Detective Logan Kind only have one hand?
The Palm Springs in Cafe Respect isn't about golf courses and movie stars-it's full of suspect friendships, slow mystery, poignant love, Indian Casinos that sprout up in the desert faster than the yearly crops, and a knife-wielding killer whose shrewd disguises blend in with longtime losers.
Seattle Mirror Reporter Jason Wade is back in the third thriller featuring him. He is again in Dutch with his boss and pressured to get more news stories on his crime beat. Sister Anne, a much loved nun is brutally murdered by a knife-wielding assailant and the city is in an uproar. He scoops the other newspapers when he reports the bloody knife found outside Sister Anne's apartment, but his boss still is riding him for more. It turns out that his father and a widow with a young son are eventually involved in the story. Jason's relationship with a female detective on the Seattle Police force is also brittle and falling apart. The author skillfully weaves all these story elements into a great story that keeps you guessing right up to the final chapter.
As others have mentioned, this author should get more press and marketing than he does. His stories are different in such a good way. His characterizations are real, his sense of humor is tops and his stories have diversity. I would also like to thank Amazon for introducing me to this author. I liked the Holland Taylor stories and would like to see him trade off between the two. I would recommend reading just one of his books and you will be hooked...