The James Deans (Moe Prager Mysteries) (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: liquor authority, Moira Heaton, John Heaton, Steven Brightman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coleman draws inspiration from the real-life Gary Condit/Chandra Levy case for his appealing third hard-boiled mystery set in the early 1980s (after 2004's Redemption Street). New York PI Moe Prager and his wife, still traumatized by a recent miscarriage, are surprised to be guests at a high society wedding. The affair proves to be a pretext for a mover and shaker to recruit Prager to the cause of a charismatic state senator, Steven Brightman, whose political rise was stalled by the disappearance of an attractive young intern more than a year earlier. Despite the cold trail, thoroughly explored by both the police and Brightman's hired sleuths, Prager finds new clues that lead him to a surprise solution. Given this revelation relatively early on, few readers will be startled that a different truth emerges before the refreshingly ambiguous conclusion, with justice at best partially served. Not everyone will go for the heavy-handed humor (a long-winded "southern politico" named Clinton "had better stay in Arkansas, because he has about as much chance for national office as the Mets have of winning a second World Series"), but all will cheer the likable, virtuous Prager.
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Review

A good story told well, and characters that make you feel something about them; Coleman has put it all together. -- Deb Jones, Roundtablereviews.com

I loved this book and its characters. Moe is a great one, beautifully rendered and very believable. -- Independent Mystery Booksellers Association, Killer Books, February 2005

It's one of my favorite books of the year, in part because of a plot that's full of unexpected surprises. -- Sarah Weinman, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind

Moe Prager is a far from perfect hero, but an utterly appealing one. Let’s hope...for many, many more cases. -- Laura Lippman, Edgar-award winning author of The Sugar House

Moe Prager is a thinking man’s P.I. -- S.J. Rozan, Edgar-award winning author of Winter and Night

Moe Prager is my kind of private eye. -- Michael Connelly, bestselling author of The Narrows

Moe is a character to savor and Coleman? He's an author to watch. -- Ruth Jordan, Crime Spree Magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Plume (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452286506
• ISBN-13: 978-0452286504
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #667,566 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh and wonderful detective novel, March 11, 2005

By	David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Reed Coleman is one of the hidden gems of the mystery genre, a skilled writer who has somehow flown under the radar, despite getting some of the best buzz among fellow writers.

His series detective, Moe Prager, is a great character, a refreshing change from the typical PI cliché. He's a good man, a devoted father and husband, a successful businessman. Like the rest of us, he's got his share of pain, but he's not a dark, haunted soul. Even though he runs a wine shop, he only occasionally drinks.

Coleman's writing is sparse and direct, with great characters and excellent use of setting. There are moments in the book that are very funny, elements of fine suspense, and turns that are touching and even sad.

Don't miss this wonderful book from a writer who deserves much more attention than he's getting.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Thriller Out of the Headlines, April 7, 2005

By	Cynthia P. Chow "Hawaiian Librarian" (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When he is cornered at an employee's wedding in 1983 New York, the last thing wine shop owner and private investigator Moe Prager is to work for a politician. A former cop who was forced on disability by a piece of carbon paper on a waxed floor, Moe has had enough of being manipulated and holds a secret that could destroy his marriage. However, a carrot and stick approach by the bride's father forces Moe into working for State Senator Steven Brightman and investigating the disappearance of his female intern in Reed Farrel Coleman's The James Deans (Plume)..

Moe soon makes headway into the case, but after coming to a conclusion that leaves everyone satisfied niggling doubts begin to force Moe into looking a little closer at a case that has been tidily resolved. Now, Moe must decide whether to open a can of worms that would leave the powerful and his own friends particularly unhappy with his actions. From the Senator down to the neighborhood bar owner, all are invested in the nicely wrapped package Moe has presented to the city. To continue investigating means that Moe risks sacrificing his career, his family, and his friends.

Moe Prager is a wonderfully down-to-earth detective who, although bored with his mundane life, would rather avoid a fight than wield his muscle. His love for his family makes him engagingly human, especially when he knows that a secret he shares with his father-in-law will one day explode and shatter his marriage (Walking the Perfect Square, 2001). Not overly bright but always quick with a quip yet never annoyingly so, it's his ethics and sense of honor that make Moe shine. Taking a turn at writing his version of the Chandra Levy/Gary Condit scandal, Coleman does an original twist with the plot as halfway through, just when you think the mystery has been solved, he boomerangs the story and leads Moe into making a decision that forces him to look deep into his soul and his sense of justice. While Coleman does make a few obvious references meant to give a wink and a nod to the present (a poetic look at the sturdy World Trade Center and jokes about a going-nowhere Arkansas Senator), he writes a riveting plot and creates a vivid portrait of eighties New York City. Always entertaining with a character who is never disappoints, Coleman continues a series that improves and expands on a truly unique character.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!, April 6, 2005

By	L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The James Deans (Moe Prager Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Moe is the refreshing antithesis of most characters being written today. He is a loving husband, father and brother, neither an alcoholic nor a drug user, but with secrets and burdens of his own. I still rave about "Walking the Perfect Square" as one of my favorite books. Coleman creates an environment that feels personal. But it's the writing that makes this book and series one I feel deserves attention and recognition. Highly recommended.