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Counting to Infinity (Jake Diamond, 3)
 
 
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Counting to Infinity (Jake Diamond, 3) [Hardcover]

J. L. Abramo (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)


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Book Description

Jake Diamond, 3 July 29, 2004
San Francisco private investigator Jake Diamond is known for his stained neckties and stash of sour-mash whiskey; but Jake is more likely to be toting a worn paperback Classic novel than a handgun. More over-easy than hard-boiled, Diamond can be beaten up and knocked around without taking it too personally; but when his friends and loved ones are threatened, it's a different story.

When a Chicago thug known as Ralph Battle bursts into the office of Diamond Investigation waving a 44 magnum at Diamond and his trusty assistant, Jake has the distinct feeling that missing his lunch of fried calamari may not be the worst of his problems.

Jake accompanies Battle to Chicago at the mandatory request of Max Lansdale, a mob-connected attorney, who asks Jake to search for a pair of ghosts and will not take no for an answer. Pushed to the edge, Jake is ready to put his rusty .38 to use to get Lansdale off his back. Running between San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles, Diamond tries to stay one step ahead of the man who will have Jake killed with no remorse as soon as Diamond proves useless.

With the help of Joey Russo and a team of Jake's familiar cohorts, including Vinnie "Strings" Stradivarius, Darlene Roman and Sonny "The Chin" Badalamenti, Jake may be saved from becoming a murderer himself. May be. Trying to escape the wildest ride of his life; Jake is counting on luck, counting on a group of unlikely heroes, and counting to infinity.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PI Jake Diamond, abetted by his Girl Friday, Darlene, sleuths back and forth between San Francisco, Chicago and L.A. in his third outing (after 2003's Clutching at Straws), a convoluted but routine mystery involving a decades-old crime and Mafia vendetta lists. After a nice opening line, parodying classic hard-boiled detective fiction—"The scent of deep-fried calamari floated in through my office window like an invitation to triple-bypass surgery"—Abramo soon loses narrative focus. The witty remarks (e.g., "If you want someone who can't ask a good question, get Larry King") simply disappear, and the tone grows serious. As the plan to topple the bad guy plays out, the first-person Chandleresque burlesque is dropped in favor of a detached third-person account more like a thriller novel. Fans of Mafiosi fiction should be the most satisfied.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

J. L. Abramo was born in Brooklyn, New York on Raymond Chandler's fifty-ninth birthday. A member of the Screen Actors' Guild, Mystery Writers of America and Private Eye Writers of America, Abramo is working on his next novel.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (July 29, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312326505
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312326500
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,365,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars very special crime thriller, September 1, 2004
This review is from: Counting to Infinity (Jake Diamond, 3) (Hardcover)
San Francisco private investigator Jake Diamond is forcibly persuaded to meet Max Lansdale for a job he can't refuse. Max wants Jake to find Harry Chandler who was reported dead in a shoot-out. Max says that a private investigator reported to him that he ran into Harry. The reason Jake is chosen for the job is that his mentor and associate Jimmy Pigeon reported that Harrison died. Max believes that the mantle has passed to Jake. Max wants to find Chandler because he killed Max's brother Randolph.

When Jake returns to San Francisco his trusty associate Darlene tells him that Max is connected to the mob. Jake buys time to figure out how to handle the situation because Max has threatened Darlene and his ex-wife and lover if he doesn't get results. When he finally meets with Chandler, an unknown person kills Harry. Soon after a bomb goes off in Jake's apartment, killing Sally and injuring Jake. When he recovers Jake and his friends put into motion a plan to bring Max down.

COUNTING TO INFINITY is a dark and gritty urban noir thriller that starts off at light speed and quickly gains even more momentum. This is not a book for the faint of heart because there are some violent scenes but they are necessary to make the plot feel realistic. Readers will feel empathy for Jake who loses someone he loves dearly and will admire him for trusting his friends to formulate a plan that will take care of Max while working with the boundaries of the law including not murdering him. J.L. Abramo has written a very special crime thriller.

Harriet Klausner
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Jake Diamond Three: With a Vengeance, September 3, 2004
By 
James E. (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Counting to Infinity (Jake Diamond, 3) (Hardcover)
Those familiar with San Francisco PI Jake Diamond, introduced in "Catching Water in a Net" (2001) and "Clutching at Straws" (2003) are in for a surprise as his latest investigation exposes Diamond's darker side. The easy-going actor turned shamus is pushed to thoughts of bloody retribution when his loved ones are threatened by a mob connected Chicago attorney. Thanks to his friend and protector, Joey Russo, Jake is able to control his violent impulses; and with the help of Russo and familiar cohorts, Vinnie Strings, Darlene Roman and Lieutenant Ray Boyle, Diamond's nemesis learns the hard way that crime does not pay. A great addition to J. L. Abramo's funny and entertaining series, "Counting to Infinity" should please loyal Jake Diamond fans and recruit new followers.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Trip Worth Booking, September 21, 2004
This review is from: Counting to Infinity (Jake Diamond, 3) (Hardcover)
In the third installment of J.L. Abramo's Jake Diamond series, following "Clutching at Straws" and the award-winning debut "Catching Water in a Net", new facets of both the author and his San Francisco private investigator are revealed when Diamond's latest case comes dangerously close to home. Combining elements of private eye noir and crime thriller, The Maltese Falcon and Mission: Impossible, "Counting to Infinity" is a thoroughly satisfying read; funny and provocative, touching and intelligent, comfortably familiar and full of surprises. Abramo and Diamond are improving with age.
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