Slovenian-American ex-cop-turned-PI Jacovich finds himself up to his eyeballs in crime in Roberts's latest roller-coaster ride of a mystery (after 2001's The Dutch). When William Poduska, a two-bit thug with a long list of aliases, ends up beaten and then shot to death in a lowlife motel, Jacovich must not only take a hard look at the Irish version of organized crime in Cleveland but also poke around in the business of his friend, crime boss Don Giancarlo D'Allessandro. To complicate matters, Jacovich discovers that a prominent client, Common Pleas Judge Maureen Hartigan, is the mother of his former girlfriend, Cathleen, who more recently has been involved with D'Allessandro's nephew. Both the judge and Cathleen are under pressure to reveal secrets they'd prefer never to make public, and now Jacovich has to do his best to cook up a solution without unveiling the whole recipe. The soup really thickens when Jacovich learns that the widow of the womanizing Poduska is none other than the niece of Cornelius "Con" McCardle, Cleveland's Irish godfather. Meanwhile, the obits, aka the Irish sports pages, are providing some interesting reading. Roberts speeds the reader through an investigation offering plenty of delicious twists and turns without ever compromising credibility. Agent, Dominick Abel. Regional author tour. (Aug. 12)
FYI:A Cleveland resident, Roberts spent much of his career in Hollywood, where he produced such TV shows as
Hollywood Squares.
