This Far, No Further

A Byzantine plot involving sex, blackmail and the troubled past of a memorable new PI called Harding mark this auspicious debut from a former bookseller. Harding went to jail and lost his license while trying to protect a client from her abusive father. Now he works for a Chicago security firm, chasing adulterers like Dr. Stephen Rosenberg. Rosenberg's beautiful wife, Elenya (herself a victim of abuse), is looking for a divorce. And when Harding decides to disobey the injunction of the novel's title and help Elenya on his own, the result is violence (much of it sexual), murder and a link to Harding's past that puts everyone he knows under suspicion. One of the instant delights of this complicated mystery is the convincing authority of Wessel's writing. He exhibits the born storyteller's sure hand with characters, plot and first-person narration. Supporting cast members--Donnie Wilson (Harding's ambitious boss), Alison (his spunky photographer cohort) and Boone (helpful lab rat)--are well-rounded and given sharply different voices. Harding himself combines the tarnished armor of Philip Marlowe with the smart mouth and wit of Spenser. But comparisons to other writers diminish Wessel's achievement here--a strong debut that delivers the goods along with the promise of a lot more to come. 125,000 first printing. (Oct.)