Searching for an ancient artifact seems like a pretty simple case, but private eye Nick Polo soon finds himself immersed in a world of massage parlor prostitutes, military intelligence, an international dating service, and murder.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
While it's a pleasant enough exercise to hang out with San Francisco PI Nick Polo (seen most recently in 1994's Beggar's Choice), this feather-light case is seldom fully engaging. Worse, by the conclusion, the narrative lapses into downright sloppiness. Polo is hired to tail a mysterious Russian woman who claims to be in possession of an ancient Greek coin that once belonged to the son of Genghis Kahn. The woman also turns out to possess several names, and she moonlights as an escort for an agency specializing in providing pretty and expensive girls from the former Soviet Union. Along the way, Polo gets to frequent Lickie's Massage Parlor; fend off the latest lusty young niece pushed at him by his tenant, an old Italian woman; meet shady antique dealers and even shadier government-trained PIs. Oh, yes, he also has a near-death experience. Kennealy doesn't put a lot of effort into maintaining the logic of his plot, but his agreeably light tone carries the story forward?except when Polo indulges in longwinded laments for the spiritual death of San Francisco.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
On the trail of an amulet worn by the son of Genghis Khan, Russian antique dealer Alexander Rostov hires private eye Nick Polo to track down a mysterious customer who may know the bauble's whereabouts. Soon Nick finds himself the object of a tail by Tim Dashuk, a young investigator who volunteers to help Polo find the amulet. Then Dashuk is murdered, and the cops connect him to Nick, who is soon awash in the detritus of the dead man's life. Matters are further complicated by Nick's elderly downstairs tenant, Mrs. Diamonte, and her insistent matchmaking. As always, Kennealy delivers hard-boiled excitement nicely dressed with humor and style. That's always been a tough combination to beat, but it's even tougher thanks to Mrs. Diamonte, who is the best, most engaging sidekick in mystery fiction. Fine reading. Wes Lukowsky
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More About the Author
I'm a native San Franciscan - a rare breed nowadays; a former policeman, fireman, licensed private investigator for more than twenty years, and past Vice President of the Private Eye Writers of America.
Married to Shirley, the love of my life, also a San Francisco native, we have two sons: Frank and Steve, and a grandson, Jake.
When I was struggling to get my first mansucript finished, a friendly, established author encourged me, saying that my background should be helpful, and then he gave me this piece of advice: "Write what you know, and fake the rest."
I've been writing ever since. My first books were all first person private eye adventures, including ten in the Nick Polo series, and most of the action took place in San Francisco.
The following eight thrillers moved around from London, to Madrid, Russia, etc., but usually had a scene or two in San Francisco (write what you know).
Now I'm back in the city with a new series, stating with JIGSAW, featureing an offbeat hero, Mr. Carroll Quint, and entertainment editor for the San Francisco Bulletin.
I'm presently working on STILL SHOT, the second in the Carroll Quint series.
Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.
Jerry Kennealy
Married to Shirley, the love of my life, also a San Francisco native, we have two sons: Frank and Steve, and a grandson, Jake.
When I was struggling to get my first mansucript finished, a friendly, established author encourged me, saying that my background should be helpful, and then he gave me this piece of advice: "Write what you know, and fake the rest."
I've been writing ever since. My first books were all first person private eye adventures, including ten in the Nick Polo series, and most of the action took place in San Francisco.
The following eight thrillers moved around from London, to Madrid, Russia, etc., but usually had a scene or two in San Francisco (write what you know).
Now I'm back in the city with a new series, stating with JIGSAW, featureing an offbeat hero, Mr. Carroll Quint, and entertainment editor for the San Francisco Bulletin.
I'm presently working on STILL SHOT, the second in the Carroll Quint series.
Thanks for reading about me here, and I hope you enjoy my novels.
Jerry Kennealy
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ross McDonald reincarnate!,
By A Customer
This review is from: All That Glitters: A Nick Polo Mystery (Hardcover)
I'll be up-front: I've known Jerry for about a decade now, as a lawyer hiring him to do "research." It was his experience as a vice cop and later as a firefighter in San Francisco that forms the basis of his bottomless pool of material. As a fan of the classics in detective novels, from Sayers to James and Poe to -- well -- Kennealy, I find his Nick Polo stories of contemporary California society as compelling, insightful and readable as Ross McDonald's Harper series. Good, quick reads with versimlitude (like that Jerry?), lots of wit and action. In fact, I'm sure I know Polo's landlady!
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kennealy's a goldmine of a find!,
This review is from: All That Glitters: A Nick Polo Mystery (Hardcover)
Fortunately for us all, Amazon.com can get all the works of Jerry Kennealy for those who are interested. He's a masterful mystery writer in the Robert Parker/Robert Crais vain and his Nick Polo character is every bit as funny as Spenser or Elvis Cole. Kennealy knows his stuff(having worked as a PI in the Bay Area for quite some time)and he knows what it takes to hold a reader. I've been fortunate enough to meet the man on a few occassions and he's been a tremendous help to me in my own attempts at mystery writing. Give this man a chance and he'll make you a believer after just a few pages. He's a real buried treasure, but hopefully he can finally get the success he really deserves.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: All That Glitters: A Nick Polo Mystery (Hardcover)
This was my first Nick Polo book and it was really enjoyable, Polo is a Mike Hammer type character with great charm and wit. Well written, I have ordered the rest of the series thru Amazon.
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