Bliss Jumps the Gun

How much weirdness can befall one New York City cop? Stressed to the max, Lenny Bliss (first seen in Bliss) bungees off the Brooklyn Bridge late one night. For safety's sake, he hands his gun to Li-Jung, a tattooed cook and fellow jumper. She takes off with Bliss's gun and, unhappy with her past history with men, decides to take out a few of them. Bliss wants his gun back in a hurry. He also wants his partner, Ward, back on duty. Ward has caught a slug, and now seems filled with messianic fervor. Lenny's wife, Rachel, meanwhile, has forged a standup career making fun of her life with Lenny, and now Clint Eastwood wants to talk movie deals. Then there are the odd doings surrounding a bizarre avant-garde acting group. One young thespian is found murdered and the rest of the company seem intent on using his death as a means for improvisation. The young man has a prissy stepfather, a rich mother and a desirable (to Bliss, at least) aunt, all cavalierly unconcerned with his demise. Then a scriptwriter dies. And just as Lenny gets close to Li-Jung, she enters the fetid taxicab of DeWayne, a crooked ex-cop and a multiple loser--who has a plan. There's no shortage of offbeat crime yarns out there, but ones that work on every level are extremely rare. This one does. Lenny Bliss is a pip of a creation; he's goofy and likable and moral and confused all at once. His world is a sublimely silly and scary one that requires quick, if not always linear, thinking. Lenny Bliss is clearly the man for the job, and this is the book for the mystery reader who's looking for something fresh and strong. (July)