Rating: 
Summary: A fun read
Review: I have been a Toby "Peelers" fan for ages and was delighted to find out Stuart Kaminsky has begun a new series. Yea, Stuart! Right from page one, I was suckered into Lew Fonesca's world. I hope it doesn't take too long for the second book to appear, but I will wait patiently. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Poor Editing of a Mystery with Appealing New Characters!
Review: Mysteries are seldom strong in characterization. Usually, the mechanics of the plot keep the author more than busy. Vengeance succeeds very well at both levels. This first entry into what could become a series holds great promise. Surprisingly, though, it is marred by more errors that should have been caught than any other novel I have read in years. I have accordinlgy graded down what otherwise would have been a rave review. Authors usually get a chance to catch errors in galley stage, so the profesional editors should probably not get all the blame here. Lew Fonseca has integrity and persistence going for him, but little else. No one is going to mistake him for Nick Charles, Sam Spade, or Mike Hammer. He is licensed as a process server, and gets occasional jobs from attorneys to find people. Like a terrier, he gets to the bottom of where the missing people are. He is lucky to get paid $50 a day. He lives in his office. He gets leads for jobs at the Dairy Queen, where he eats most of his meals. He gets around by walking or riding a bike . . . unless he can charge a rental car to a client. He's depressed and has a hard time taking danger seriously. Perhaps he even has an unconscious death wish. He lost his wife three years before, and hasn't recovered yet. In this mystery, he is asked to find a runaway teenaged girl who is probably being sexually abused by her father. Separately, a local businessman asks him to find his missing wife. Normally, Lew has no work. Now he has too much. He puts his attention mostly on the runaway, and still can't keep up. And who is that mysterious man who's following him? Lew Fonseca's buddies are as vivid in their uniqueness and appeal as he is. You'll enjoy thinking about them as examples of how the purpose of your life is more important than the resources you have. The book has a strong moral tone, without being preachy, that saves the book from being disgusting as various extreme forms of human depravity are exposed. The mystery was hard for me to solve. Maybe you'll get it sooner than I did, but I was puzzled up until the last few pages. That made the book much more enjoyable for me. A good lesson from this book is to consciously avoid judging people by their appearances and occupations. Everyone is different from what they seem. Try getting acquainted with someone you would normally not spend time with, and see how many of your assumptions about that person turn out to be wrong. That's a good way to overcome the Ugly Duckling stall!
Rating:
Summary: Poor Editing of a Mystery with Appealing New Characters!
Review: Mysteries are seldom strong in characterization. Usually, the mechanics of the plot keep the author more than busy. Vengeance succeeds very well at both levels. This first entry into what could become a series holds great promise. Surprisingly, though, it is marred by more errors that should have been caught than any other novel I have read in years. I have accordinlgy graded down what otherwise would have been a rave review. Authors usually get a chance to catch errors in galley stage, so the profesional editors should probably not get all the blame here. Lew Fonseca has integrity and persistence going for him, but little else. No one is going to mistake him for Nick Charles, Sam Spade, or Mike Hammer. He is licensed as a process server, and gets occasional jobs from attorneys to find people. Like a terrier, he gets to the bottom of where the missing people are. He is lucky to get paid $50 a day. He lives in his office. He gets leads for jobs at the Dairy Queen, where he eats most of his meals. He gets around by walking or riding a bike . . . unless he can charge a rental car to a client. He's depressed and has a hard time taking danger seriously. Perhaps he even has an unconscious death wish. He lost his wife three years before, and hasn't recovered yet. In this mystery, he is asked to find a runaway teenaged girl who is probably being sexually abused by her father. Separately, a local businessman asks him to find his missing wife. Normally, Lew has no work. Now he has too much. He puts his attention mostly on the runaway, and still can't keep up. And who is that mysterious man who's following him? Lew Fonseca's buddies are as vivid in their uniqueness and appeal as he is. You'll enjoy thinking about them as examples of how the purpose of your life is more important than the resources you have. The book has a strong moral tone, without being preachy, that saves the book from being disgusting as various extreme forms of human depravity are exposed. The mystery was hard for me to solve. Maybe you'll get it sooner than I did, but I was puzzled up until the last few pages. That made the book much more enjoyable for me. A good lesson from this book is to consciously avoid judging people by their appearances and occupations. Everyone is different from what they seem. Try getting acquainted with someone you would normally not spend time with, and see how many of your assumptions about that person turn out to be wrong. That's a good way to overcome the Ugly Duckling stall!
Rating:
Summary: A Very Appealing New Character
Review: The author has done a great job of developing the main character. I hope he'll continue with more Lew Fonesca mysteries! Let's hope, though, that he finds a different publisher. I cannot remember reading a more poorly edited book. The errors were so numerous they became a major distraction from a well-crafted story.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Appealing New Character
Review: The author has done a great job of developing the main character. I hope he'll continue with more Lew Fonesca mysteries! Let's hope, though, that he finds a different publisher. I cannot remember reading a more poorly edited book. The errors were so numerous they became a major distraction from a well-crafted story.
Rating: 
Summary: Vengeance is the first book in a new series.
Review: The first in a new series, Vengeance is set in Sarasota, Florida. It follows Lew Fonesca, a process server, who gets involved with helping women and children in trouble. Fonesca, who was featured in two Edgar Alan Poe nominated short stories, lives in his office behind a Dairy Queen and longs to be left alone to grieve over his dead wife and to watch tapes of old movies, but he can't resist women and children in trouble. Lew's odd collection of helpers includes an crusty, quiet old man who rides a motor scooter and isn't afraid to use a gun; a wealthy old widow who loves Western music, is foul mouthed, and always has her door open for strays; and a petty thief named Snickers who knows everything that goes on in Sarasota's small but often violent criminal underground.
Rating: 
Summary: I enjoyed reading this book...
Review: This is my first book by Stuart M. Kaminsky, I enjoyed his work a lot, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific tale
Review: Three years six months and five days ago, Lew Fonesca's beloved spouse died when some unknown driver sideswiped her car, sending her crashing into a wall. Distraught, Lew immediately left Chicago to escape the memories. When his vehicle broke down in Sarasota, Florida, Lew decided to stay. He soon began working for a couple of attorneys, discreetly handling their investigative needs even though he has no license to practice professional sleuthing. Real estate giant Carl Sebastian hires Lew's services to find his missing wife Melanie. Carl wants to only talk to her to see if he can persuade her to return home. However, the simple case turns complex when someone tails Lew and his clues seem to lead him to taking backwards steps. At the same time, Lew cannot refuse Beryl Tree's retainer to find her missing teen in danger from an abusive father and a nasty individual who bought the girl. Perhaps it is time to declare award winning Stuart Kaminsky as the reigning monarch of excellent detective series with such notables as Inspector Rostnikov, Toby Peters, and Abe Lieberman. His newest player Lew Fonesca may be the best of the lot. Lovable Lew is still mourning his loss while counting every second away from his beloved. Yet, he cannot stop himself from helping the oppressed. VENGEANCE consists of two obvious story lines that Mr. Kaminsky's writing abilities turn into excellent tales along with Lew, a feat that makes this novel worth reading. Harriet Klausner
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