Elizabeth R. (esjro) - , reviewed on 2/3/2009 + 914 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

Big City, Bad Blood marks the debut of a promising new author in crime fiction. Sean Chercover's first outing reads as though it were written by a veteran crime author.

The story is told in first person by Ray Dudgeon, a middle-aged private eye. Ray is hired to protect a B-list film studio exec who unwittingly became entangled with the Chicago mafia. Ray knows Chicago well and has dealings with The Outfit in the past. As Ray tried to keep his client alive, he becomes caught in the middle of a mob turf war and uncovers a scandal involving many high-placed officials in the Chicago government.

There is plenty of action and violence in Big City, Bad Blood. The tone and style is reminiscent of pulp fiction, but the characters (especially Dudgeon) are remarkably fleshed out and complex for a crime novel. Fans of the Hard Case Crime series should enjoy this book. I am looking forward to the next in the series.

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