Swift Justice: A Mystery (Thomas Dunne Books) [Bargain Price] [Hardcover]

Laura DiSilverio (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 12, 2010 | Series: Thomas Dunne Books

Charlotte "Charlie" Swift prefers working alone. That's why after eight years as an Air Force investigator she became a PI rather than a cop. She lives alone, she works alone, and aside for the occasional flirtation with sexy cop Connor Montgomery or her hunky neighbor Father Dan, she likes it that way. Then her silent partner flees the country, leaving his wife, Gigi, with nothing but the house, the Hummer, and a half interest in Swift Investigations. Charlie ends up with a heap of debt and Gigi, who has decided to be a not-so-silent partner. This change comes about while Charlie is trying to find the mother of a baby abandoned on a client's doorstep. While following leads, she sends Gigi out on crazy assignments, hoping that the pampered socialite will be driven to quit. However, when the baby's mother turns up dead, there's a murderer on the loose, and Charlie will need all the help she can get.

Swift Justice is a Lefty Award finalist for best humorous mystery.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In DiSilverio's winning debut, Colorado Springs, Colo., PI Charlotte "Charlie" Swift, a former U.S. Air Force investigator, gets saddled with a wildly out-of-place partner, Gigi Goldman, the just-dumped wife of Charlie's now-fugitive financial backer. But a situation that's as hard for the smart-mouthed single to swallow as Gigi's kittens-and-ducklings office redecoration makes for a promising odd-couple premise, especially once Charlie starts giving the socialite outlandish assignments in the hope she'll quit--like performing undercover surveillance while working as a burger chain's bison mascot. And it develops that Gigi's people skills might actually help with the duo's complex latest case, locating the missing teen mother of the infant left on the doorstep of their client, an abuse survivor who herself gave up the baby's mother for adoption. DiSilverio shifts seamlessly between breezy banter and the weightier tone the investigation takes once murder enters the equation. Just as importantly, she creates an engaging community of characters readers will want to revisit. Author tour.
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Charlotte “Charlie” Swift of Swift Investigations has just started on her newest case—finding the mother of a baby left with a woman who doesn’t want her husband to know she’s the baby’s grandmother. Then Gigi shows up; her ex-husband was Charlie’s silent partner, but he ran off with a much younger woman—after cleaning out the couple’s bank account—leaving Gigi with no income, two teenage kids, and the partnership papers for Swift Investigations. Loner Charlie definitely doesn’t need a middle-aged, inexperienced woman who has no idea of how to work as a private detective; but they’re stuck together. Readers will sympathize with Gigi, who manages to turn crazy assignments into even crazier situations. Meanwhile, Charlie’s case gets more complicated when the missing mother turns up dead. The odd-couple relationship between the two women may appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum and Lula. DiSilverio deftly mixes light, zany humor with the darkness of the crimes. Readers will leave this one impatient for the next book in the series. --Kat Kan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (October 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312641508
• ASIN: B005IUWA0K
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura DiSilverio spent twenty years as an Air Force intelligence officer--serving as a squadron commander in England, English teacher at the Air Force Academy, budgeteer at the National Reconnaissance Officer, POW/MIA researcher in Bangkok, and in other positions--before retiring to write and parent full-time. She lives in Colorado with her hubby, tween-aged daughters (who are teaching her a lot about patience), and Wire-haired Pointing Griffon. She writes the Charlie Swift/Gigi Goldman humorous private investigator series (SWIFT RUN, St. Martin's Minotaur, Nov 2012) as well as the Mall Cop mystery series (MALLED TO DEATH, Berkley Prime Crime, Apr 2013).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Booklist Nails This One March 20, 2011

By Annie B TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The blurbs for so many books claim they will appeal to readers of Evanovich and readers who love Stephanie and Lulu. Few meet that standard. Happily, this one does, but without doing so in a way that is an obvious rip-off of Evanovich's style. The book and characters are not mere imitations of Stephanie and Lulu.

The reason for this is that the writing is much more laid back and fluid. The story itself deals with a crime and a true mystery that is well thought out and very well plotted. Charlie is more serious than Stephanie and Gigi, well, Gigi is just Gigi. While her antics are up to any of Stephanie's or Lulu's, they're much more easy to believe. The setting of Colorada is great and the author really brings it to life. And of course, some handsome men show up and some heat does as well. Just where that heat will lead, well, only the next book will tell.

I predict that this author will be getting a lot of pressure from fans eager for the next book in the series. For once I believe I can honestly say that if you like Evanovich, you will like this book. If you enjoy a good mystery with a lot of comic relief, you'll likely enjoy this book. If you just like a good mystery, you'll like this book.

Personally, I can't wait for the next book! I highly recommend it to anyone needing some stress relief.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars delightful private investigator mystery October 16, 2010

By Harriet Klausner #1 HALL OF FAME

Format:Hardcover

Charlotte "Charlie" Swift always knew she preferred her own company over any entanglements. Eight years as an Air Force military investigator affirmed her feelings that she would rather work alone. After leaving the service, Charlie opens up a private investigative firm in Colorado Springs. She has the perfect partner, Goldman, who puts up money and stays out of her way.

When Goldman flees as a fugitive from the law due to his financial shenanigans, Charlie is stunned. Her firm is near bankrupt with debt and she no longer has a silent partner as Goldman's wife Gigi takes over his interest and shows up at the office as she plans to work there. Charlie wants the socialite out of the office so she can return to being hardboiled instead of cute kittens on the wall. She assigns Gigi the worst projects imaginable such as doing undercover work as a fast food chain mascot. However, whereas Charlie's in your face with a fist approach fails on their current case; Gigi's girly girl make nice gets people to talk. The two women seek a teen mother who abandoned her baby on the doorstep of their client, who years ago gave up her baby for adoption.

The key to this delightful private investigator mystery is the pairing of the opposites as pampered and street wise make for amusing scenarios, but when it comes to the serious search for the mom the story line leaves the banter back at the office. Though this type of teaming has been done before (for instance, Lynda Carter and Loni Anderson in Partners In Crime), readers will enjoy the antics of Charlie and Gigi as the unlikely duet work the streets of Colorado Springs.

Harriet Klausner

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Charlie and Gigi are the Lucy and Ethel of Crime Detecting! April 5, 2011

By Frankie Ute

Format:Hardcover

What fun reading this was! I love mysteries but too often they are re-hashing the same-old story lines with nothing fresh. I realize you can only murder someone in so many ways and I realize there are only so many crime-detecting methods but really, the fun needs to be put back in many of these stories and the fun is back here!

Charlie unwillingly gets a new partner, Gigi, who turns out to be outlandish AND helpful! Gigi's negatives (in Charlie's view) turn out to be Gigi's strengths as they both approach crime from a different angle that ends up solving and us, the readers, have fun the whole time! From the first page, I knew I'd probably like this as it's written in first person so we know Charlie's thoughts throughout. PLEASE hurry and release the next one!!!