From Publishers Weekly
This indispensable collection is not quite what the title advertises, for many of these PIs cracked their first cases in novels. No matter, for editor Randisi (author of the Nick Delvecchio and Miles Jacoby series) has chosen topflight short-story debuts of bestselling sleuths (e.g., Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone and Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder) and 13 equally worthy PIs. In "Out the Window," a pre-AA Scudder still drinks bourbon with his coffee. "My hand was trembling slightly when I picked up the glass," he says. "It was a little steadier when I set it down." But the same guilt and sense of obligation that drive Scudder today are evident in this early work. Joe Gores introduced Daniel Kearney Associates in "File #1: The Mayfield Case," in which a rookie investigator learns that even apparently simple cases can carry emotional risk. Carlotta Carlyle premiered in Linda Barnes's "Lucky Penny." Driving a cab to supplement her measly PI income, Carlotta must discover why a fare robbed her and promptly threw away the money. With award winners such as Michael Collins, Bill Pronzini, Marcia Muller, John Lutz, Loren D. Estleman, Sara Paretsky and others, this anthology is a must for mystery devotees and a perfect introduction for future fans.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
No fan of the contemporary private-eye genre will want to miss this wonderful collection. Who would even consider passing up early Kinsey Milhone, a young "Nameless," a still-skittish Alo Nudger, or an always-incisive, young John Cuddy? Some of the short stories collected here represent a series hero's first appearance, while others simply predate the author's fame. In addition to the gumshoes named above, editor Randisi also includes stories starring Dan Fortune, Leo Haggerty, Amos Walker, V. I. Warshawski, and Carlotta Carlyle. Among the highlights are Sue Grafton's "Long Gone," in which a mother of three turns embezzler and then turns up dead, and Lawrence Block's "Out the Window," in which Matt Scudder discovers the fate of another lonely soul. Randisi introduces each selection with a brief biography of the character and a note or two concerning the author. An excellent mystery collection; highly recommended.
Wes Lukowsky
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
