Dying Embers: An Art Hardin Mystery - Hardcover

Robert Bailey's first novel, Private Heat, was chosen for the prestigious Josiah W. Bancroft Award. Bailey knows wherof he writes―-he is an award-winning combat pistol shot and a Vietnam-era veteran. He retired from the military as a reservist and a field grade officer after four years of active duty, then spent five years as a corporate security director in the Detroit area, and twenty years as a licensed private investigator.

"Mean streets" may seem more desperate running through Detroit or Chicago than through Grand Rapids, Mich., but Bailey's second Art Hardin mystery (after 2002's Private Heat) showcases a PI who could hold his own anywhere. Hardin is quick with a quip, can give and take a punch, actually knows how to investigate a missing person or workplace theft and has a supporting cast that's not always completely supportive. When wealthy inventor Scott Lambert asks Hardin to locate Anne Jones, an old college flame of Lambert's, Hardin does so with the proviso that when found, further contact will be at the woman's discretion. Finding Jones doesn't prove too difficult, but getting in touch with her is, especially after she's murdered. The case is clearly no simple love story, and Hardin becomes embroiled with his client's affairs. The author ably mixes action and exposition, as Hardin's seemingly simple quest spills over in all directions as the body count rises. Bailey may stretch his plot too thin for elegance, but Hardin and an entertaining cast of cops, federal agents, a motorcycle gang and a street gang led by a dude named Poco Loco reduce that to a quibble. Buckle up and enjoy a wild ride through the mean streets of Grand Rapids.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.