Customer Reviews

The Middle of Nowhere (Lenny Bliss Mysteries)

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I really enjoyed the twisted characters in this book with their broadly stroked flaws and strengths. The dialog is fantastic (internal dialog as well) and the storyline works well. Lenny Bliss's difficulties resonate. Sloan's writing is daring and refreshing and I'm glad I finally discovered him. I immediately read his other books. I hope there are more to come!

In his third outing, New York police detective Lenny Bliss juggles two murders, both complicated by personal circumstances. The first is a "floater," and his wife, Rachel, switching careers from stand-up comedy to crime writing, tags along, for atmosphere. But Bliss' own involvement in the murder of a rich slacker kid is enough to make his blood run cold. The security tape shows him entering the house the night of the murder and leaving 20 minutes later. But the security tape is missing.

And we, the reader, know who has it. There are a lot of voices in this novel, but Sloan segues well, moving among thugs, illegal domestics, nasty rich folk, cops and criminals, mouthy kids, angry parents, worried parents, grieving parents and bystanders. Darkly humorous, with a hard edge and street-smarts, softened by deft characterizations and quirky writing, this is a mixed bag that works.

In each book of the Bliss series, B. Sloan gets deeper into his very interesting and offbeat characters. I couldn't go to sleep until I finished this one. The suspense built with every page.