Established racketeering in Frankfurt—fairly peacefully divided among German, Albanian, and Turkish crime bosses—is upset when the mysterious Army of Reason suddenly starts asking business owners for exorbitant sums and lopping off their thumbs when demands aren't met. After restaurateur Romario becomes a victim, he turns to PI Kemal Kayankaya for help. His plan to scare off the Army of Reason, carried out with friend Silbulsky, turns into a shoot-out that leaves two extortionists dead, Kayankaya scratching to trace the new crime organization, more people killed and buildings blown up in retribution, and another country vying for a piece of the Frankfurt crime action. Winner of the German Thriller Prize and best sellers in Europe, Arjouni's four-book series featuring the wisecracking PI of Turkish descent who's not above using bribery and lies and calling on sources inside and outside the law to get what he needs is now being released in the United States for the first time.
VERDICT Germany is a roiling melting pot in Arjouni's noir fiction with a light touch. A good bet for readers of the genre. [This title launches the publisher's new Melville International Crime imprint, previewed in Wilda Williams's "Passport to Mystery," LJ 4/15/10.—Ed.]
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