Customer Reviews

The Losers' Club

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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I am an avid mystery reader--Connelly, Crais, LeHane-- and this new novel is right up there. It's rare when I actually laugh out loud in the middle of a page--her dry humor really is appealing to me. Her writing is tight and evocative and Cal Brantley is a great character. I was definitely disappointed, though, in the last 1/4 of the book. Things got predictable and unbelievable, particularly so because the majority of the book was of such a high caliber. I thought there were too many characters in the novel--too many to be well-drawn and some of them (Violetta in particular)came out to be caricatures. The subplot about the ex-boyfriend could definitely have been left out and improved the book overall. But I am very much looking forward to her next book--hope there is one.

One evening, Cal Brantley's husband went out for a pack of cigarettes and never returned. Her second entry in the romantic sweepstakes was with a co-worker, but when that ended Cal left her job and ultimately the state. Now back in her hometown of San Francisco, Cal buries herself in her work as she is determined to never be hurt by a male again. After successfully completing her current field assignment, the private investigator returns to the home office only to learn that the company has been sold. The new owners, Worldwide Corporation, send Cal to Reno to investigate an insurance claim.

Accompanying Cal to Nevada is company man Denny Wickerstaff, an arrogant former LA cop, who worships power especially his own. Cal realizes she is going to have a difficult time working with the conceited Denny. Their inquiries center on the death of a child who died on a casino escalator. As she examines the data, Cal concludes that there is more to this simple claim than meets the eye and refuses to close the case. Her action place her and Denny in danger from dangerous people who will face long hard time in prison if their operation becomes known.

With the publication of THE LOSER'S CLUB, it is obvious that Lise S. Baker deserved to win the 1998 St. Martin's Press/PWA contest. The story line provides a series of viable shockers and surprises that make it impossible to predict what will happen next. There are so many twists and turns readers will think they are on a tilt-a-whirl. However, it is Cal who makes the novel complete as mystery fans will fully understand her motives and want Ms. Baker to provide sequels starring her likable lead protagonist.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know what the life of a real Private Investigator is like. This book could not have been written by anyone who is not a working PI. "The Losers' Club" is certainly the best PI mystery that I have read in a long, long time. Cal Brantley doesn't carry a gun but a cellular phone, a camera and a knowledge of people are all the weapons she needs. I think she one investigator I would like to work with and I am looking forward to hearing more of her story. Thank you, Lise S. Baker for writing this wonderful book.

The Loser's Club is a face-paced, witty read from start to finish! Cal Brantley, the female private investigator, is a smart, savvy and street wise P.I. with enough compassion to know how to handle any situation that arises. The dialogue had me laughing, and I couldn't help admire how Cal dealt with her fellow investigators, including the on-the-edge, ex-L.A.P.D. detective Denny Wickerstaff.

Cal's private life becomes intertwined with her investigation of the death of a young boy in a Reno casino, and the twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing. As I turned the last page I knew that I wanted more! I'm hoping I'll be reading more adventures of Cal Brantley - I like that woman!

Hats off to this new writer. Lise S. Baker is on her way and I can't wait for her next book!

Three cheers for Cal Brantley! Lise Baker's new private detective is smart and funny and not afraid to speak her mind. Her cool demeanor is the perfect foil for the bizarre and deadly circumstances she finds when she investigates the death of a child in a Nevada casino. The Losers' Club is a great beginning for a wonderful new series.

The Loser's Club, Lise Baker's first award winning mystery novel, is a thrilling page turner from the first page on. Ms. Baker has obviously paid her dues in the trenches as a real life big city private investigator. There is so much exciting realism and colorful technical detail, that this book could actually be used as a training manual for rookie PI's. A thriller from cover to cover, the reader will get a unque view of the underbelly of society that few people outside the world of cops and detectives ever really knew existed. The main character, Cal Brantley, is every detective agency owners' dream. She's the kind of model investigator with the experience and knowledge to tackle a very dangerous assignment. I give it my own two thumbs up. I'm a retired big city cop myself, now operating as a Licensed Private Investigator, and owner of a PI agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, as this one is a true WINNER.

Lise Baker's LOSER'S CLUB is an exciting foray into the world of the private detective. Her prose is evocative, her plot is intriguing and Cal Brantley, the main character, is a gem. A private investigator who solves problems with finesse and intelligence rater than fisticuffs is a welcome treat. Baker's background as a professional investigator is evident in the reality of her dialogue and her keen eye for detail. It's easy to see why LOSER'S CLUB won the St. Martin's 1998 Best First Private Eye Novel Contest. The hard thing is going to be waiting for the next Cal Brantley novel to be available!

It's hard to believe that this is this writer's first mystery novel! Lise S. Baker's style is very polished. Her extensive personal experience as a Private Investigator bring realism to this suspenceful insurance investigation of the death of a child in a Nevada Casino. It's one of those page turners that is usuall written by well established authurs. If the right Hollywood screen writer reads this one, it could actually end up as a big screen box office hit! As a Practicing PI myself, I was not only throughly entertained, but even learned a few trade secrets from a much more experienced PI, Ms. Lise Baker. I can hardly wait for the next advanture of Cal Brantley, a "new school" San Francisco, female PI.

Hard-boiled private-eyes have evolved from the Sam Spades ofthe 1940s, to the Mike Hammers of the 1950s, the Jim Rockfords of the1980s, and even to Rick Deckard in BLADERUNNER's futuristic film noir setting. (In the 1970s, Woody Allen spoofed the type in PLAY IT AGAIN SAM and his short stories "The Whore of Mensa" (in WITHOUT FEATHERS)and "Mr. Big" (in GETTING EVEN). In THE LOSER'S CLUB Lise Baker adds a new twist to the type with Cal Brantley, an attractive, tough but vulnerable female P.I. who distrusts corporations and macho men, is loathe to come off a job, relentless in her pursuit of truth, and very good at what she does. She is loyal to family and friends, with a soft spot for her demented ex-boyfriend.

Cal's new assignment partners her with an obnoxious ex-LAPD cop, an acquaintance of Mark Furhman. They travel together to Nevada, land of legalized gambling, prostitution, New Age spiritualists, and UFO fanatics. Baker deftly weaves all these elements into Cal's quest to investigate the death of a little boy, while she simultaneously tries to save her ex-boyfriend from self destruction. The character of Cal well drawn. Baker manages to avoid cliches as places Cal squarely in the genre of hard-boiled investigators. A professionally adept, emotionally scarred, love 'em and leave 'em sort, Cal's ambivalence about meaningless sex provides an interesting contrast to the private-eyes of yore. Unlike Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and her other antecedents, Cal is the child of '60s flower children, with a passion for Led Zeplin. And this gives a different perspective to the seedy people and sordid things she witnesses.

Baker's rich imagination is well complemented by a fluid, engaging writing style that has no rough moments. Like Cal, Baker is a professional investigator, and she knows her stuff. Altogether, LOSER'S CLUB is a provocative update of the genre that keeps you turning the pages.

The Losers' Club is the first book featuring California private eye Cal Brantley, written by a real-life private eye. Written in a wry and ironic style, it tells the story of an insurance investigator who stumbles onto murder while investigating a wongful death case in Reno. This book is an exciting entry into private eye fiction by a writer who knows her stuff. Sharp dialogue and a highly likeable main character punctuate the action that builds like a crescendo from the opening scene, set in a chaotic casino. If you're looking for a new voice in private eye fiction, this is the book for you.