Blues in the Night - Hardcover

Lochte, Dick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0727881086 ISBN 13: 9780727881083

Publisher: Severn House, 2012

Synopsis

The thrilling new novel from a genre veteran - When ex-con Dave ‘Mace’ Mason is hired by Paulie Lacotta, an old acquaintance and high-rolling criminal, to watch his ex-girlfriend, Angela, he knows there’s more to the job than he’s being told. Angela has fallen in love with one of Paulie’s competitors, Tiny, and Paulie wants to know if she’s the reason a big deal recently went south. But Mace draws some unwelcome attention as he investigates, and when Tiny is found dead, Mace wonders if he will live long enough to uncover the truth.

About this title

From Booklist:

Lochte, best known as coauthor of mystery novels with Al Roker and Christopher Darden, turns in an excellent performance with this gritty solo effort. Dave Mason is an ex-con working for his friend, crime boss Paulie Lacotta. Mason is keeping an eye on Paulie’s former girlfriend, who’s recently taken up with Paulie’s former friend and current competitor. Mason figures something bad is going to happen, but he doesn’t figure on winding up in the sights of a highly unusual pair of hitmen, and he certainly has no way of knowing that something that looks like a counterfeit coin, found clenched in a dead man’s teeth, is going to cause him a helluva lot of aggravation. Perhaps because his name is so often associated with “celebrity” coauthors, Lochte is a somewhat underappreciated writer. This solid, well crafted thriller with a likable protagonist and an engaging cast of supporting players should remind readers that he is a dependable storyteller in his own right. --David Pitt

From Publishers Weekly:

"In this tense, fast-moving crime novel from Nero Wolfe Award–winner Lochte (Sleeping Dog), ex-con Dave “Mace” Mason returns to Los Angeles to do a favor for an old friend, mobster Paulie Lacotta. Since Lacotta is reluctant to explain why he wants Mace to shadow his ex-girlfriend, beautiful Angela Lowell, Mace turns for help to club owner Abe Garfein, who knows the L.A. scene. When pressed, Lacotta reveals that Angela may have screwed up a big deal and could be romantically involved with rival crook Tiny Daniels. Things heat up after someone tries to kill Lacotta, and Mace walks in on a bloodbath at Daniels’s beach house. Mace plays his cards close to the vest as he tries to figure out just what Angela’s role is in the deadly game Lacotta has gotten mixed up in. Tough, independent Mace is a wild card and one that Lochte should play again."

About this edition

• Publisher: Severn House
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 0727881086
• ISBN 13: 9780727881083
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224