Glint

A California used-car salesman and an obsessive pursuit of a rare coin combine in this lively debut from an author who is a private investigator in California. When Quitman O'Neil, not usually given to theft, idly pockets a silver dollar, dated 1964, the year of his birth, at the home of one of his casual girlfriends, he sets off a grizzly chain of events. Curious, he stops in at a coin shop near the showroom; his questions alert the dealer, who in turn speaks to an unscrupulous collector. Soon, Quitman's auto-sales partner is brutally murdered. As Quitman tries to help the police find the killer, another murder occurs. Learning that the killer will be after him next, Quitman decides to exact revenge himself. Valentinetti's spare, noir-edged style and clipped pace will keep readers turning the pages, and after the satisfying resolution, eager to deal with Quitman again. (June)