The Detective and the Chinese High-Fin: A John Darvelle Mystery

In Craven’s superior second John Darvelle mystery (after 2014’s The Detective and the Pipe Girl), LAPD homicide detective Mike Ott asks the PI for his help with a cold case. Over a year earlier, well-to-do Keaton Fuller was shot dead in the driveway of his Hollywood home. Even though everyone who knew Fuller despised him, all the suspects in his murder had solid alibis. Fuller’s parents are eager for the search for his killer to continue, but with a resource shortage at the LAPD, Ott’s ability to help is limited. Darvelle accepts the case and finds out quickly how repellent the victim was. When interviews with Fuller’s family, his former girlfriend, and a business partner he dumped lead nowhere, Darvelle decides to pursue a report that the dead man was involved in brokering sales of valuable tropical fish. Fans of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser will relate to Darvelle, with his nuanced view of humanity and a loving partner to keep him honest. [em]Agent: Erica Spellman-Silverman, Trident Media Group. (June) [/em]