In New London, CT, Connor Raposo, a recent transplant to the small town, is picking up a pair of shoes from the cobbler when he hears a crash. Out in the street, a dump truck has backed over a rider on a Harley Davidson, and the scene is gruesome. Eccentric characters are brought together by this accident, including Sal Nicoletti, a mysterious man with Elvis hair whom Connor meets at the scene; Manny Streeter and Benny Vikström, local detectives who decide it was no accident but who would solve the crime faster if they weren't trying to drive each other crazy; Didi, Eartha, and Vaughan, Connor's associates in a money-making scheme raising funds for beagles addicted to cigarettes; and the not-dead-yet gambler Fat Bob, so-called for his love of the Harley model known as the Fat Bob. What begins as disparate threads ends up as a tangled web of double-crossing and deception, catching the hapless Connor in the middle.
VERDICT The latest offering from veteran novelist and poet Dobyns (The Burn Palace) delights with quirky characters, absurd situations, language play, and keen insights. Recommended for those who enjoy dark humor and complicated plots in their mysteries. [See Prepub Alert, 3/30/15.]
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