Rating: 
Summary: A fun quick read
Review: A wisecracking P.I. is hired by a Mafia don to ride herd on his beautiful nymphomaniac niece (or great niece) who is mixed up with a not so swift bunch of environmental terrorists. Murders by unknown persons occur. What's not to like about this plot line. The writing has an upbeat humorous tone. When describing the possibility of a drive-by shootin in a wealthy neighborhood, Waterman says "The only way there could be a drive by shooing in that neighborhood is if they used a Mercedes seeking cruise missle." On the constant rain in Seattle-"living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is always sick.Although tempted by two beautiful women who propostion him, the hero retains his virtue. (Note to author:this is fiction you will not get an STD.) The description of the environmental convention is humorous-one bumper sticker-"Pregnancy is a sexually transmitted disease." Waterman uses a group of former upper middle class now alcoholics to do his surveillance. Kind of the Baker Street irregulars but older and drunker. About the fifth time he has a problem with their drinking on the job I wanted to scream-Duh-what do you expect when you hire boozers. However, all in all, a fun read.
Rating:
Summary: A fun quick read
Review: A wisecracking P.I. is hired by a Mafia don to ride herd on his beautiful nymphomaniac niece (or great niece) who is mixed up with a not so swift bunch of environmental terrorists. Murders by unknown persons occur. What's not to like about this plot line. The writing has an upbeat humorous tone. When describing the possibility of a drive-by shootin in a wealthy neighborhood, Waterman says "The only way there could be a drive by shooing in that neighborhood is if they used a Mercedes seeking cruise missle." On the constant rain in Seattle-"living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is always sick. Although tempted by two beautiful women who propostion him, the hero retains his virtue. (Note to author:this is fiction you will not get an STD.) The description of the environmental convention is humorous-one bumper sticker-"Pregnancy is a sexually transmitted disease." Waterman uses a group of former upper middle class now alcoholics to do his surveillance. Kind of the Baker Street irregulars but older and drunker. About the fifth time he has a problem with their drinking on the job I wanted to scream-Duh-what do you expect when you hire boozers. However, all in all, a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: Hooray! A worthy new author!
Review: G.M. Ford has banged a series of home runs! His lead character operates like none other, yet in the best tradition of Travis McGee and Spencer. I have just finished all four Ford novels and can't wait for more. Excellent wordsmithing and believable characters with charming humility are highlights. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Please hurry the next one along!
Rating:
Summary: Hooray! A worthy new author!
Review: G.M. Ford has banged a series of home runs! His lead character operates like none other, yet in the best tradition of Travis McGee and Spencer. I have just finished all four Ford novels and can't wait for more. Excellent wordsmithing and believable characters with charming humility are highlights. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Please hurry the next one along!
Rating: 
Summary: should i read the 2nd in this series?
Review: I have just finished reading the whole Leo Waterman series (as of 2003) and must say I enjoyed it greatly. "Wanda Fuca" is a great beginning to a great series. Having been born and raised in Seattle, but now living in Alaska, I did enjoy follwing the geography as PI Leo Waterman scoots around the Puget Sound region, sort of a nostalgic "old home week", but that was not what held my attention. What for me sets this book apart from the rest of the "hard boiled PI" genre are the characters that Ford gives us. The are fresh, memorable and we care about them. It would be easy to make Leo's "domestically challenged" team of drunks mere two-dimensional throw-aways, but Ford fleshes them out with humor, without being condescending, and a complexity that I had never considered for "bums". These are multi-leveled people with stories behind them. I found I really same to like "The Boys" and their addition as Waterman's helpers is one of the most compelling aspects to this novel, and to the series as a whole. If Ford's characters caught my attention, his writing style helped keep it. His action scenes are beleivable; his descriptions are terse, but evocative; and there is a self-depretiation that flows from Ford through Leo Waterman that I found both refreshing as well as compelling.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh, Colorful Characters Add to New PI Mistery
Review: I have just finished reading the whole Leo Waterman series (as of 2003) and must say I enjoyed it greatly. "Wanda Fuca" is a great beginning to a great series. Having been born and raised in Seattle, but now living in Alaska, I did enjoy follwing the geography as PI Leo Waterman scoots around the Puget Sound region, sort of a nostalgic "old home week", but that was not what held my attention. What for me sets this book apart from the rest of the "hard boiled PI" genre are the characters that Ford gives us. The are fresh, memorable and we care about them. It would be easy to make Leo's "domestically challenged" team of drunks mere two-dimensional throw-aways, but Ford fleshes them out with humor, without being condescending, and a complexity that I had never considered for "bums". These are multi-leveled people with stories behind them. I found I really same to like "The Boys" and their addition as Waterman's helpers is one of the most compelling aspects to this novel, and to the series as a whole. If Ford's characters caught my attention, his writing style helped keep it. His action scenes are beleivable; his descriptions are terse, but evocative; and there is a self-depretiation that flows from Ford through Leo Waterman that I found both refreshing as well as compelling.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh, Colorful Characters Add to New PI Mistery
Review: I have just finished reading the whole Leo Waterman series (as of 2003) and must say I enjoyed it greatly. "Wanda Fuca" is a great beginning to a great series. Having been born and raised in Seattle, but now living in Alaska, I did enjoy follwing the geography as PI Leo Waterman scoots around the Puget Sound region, sort of a nostalgic "old home week", but that was not what held my attention. What for me sets this book apart from the rest of the "hard boiled PI" genre are the characters that Ford gives us. The are fresh, memorable and we care about them. It would be easy to make Leo's "domestically challenged" team of drunks mere two-dimensional throw-aways, but Ford fleshes them out with humor, without being condescending, and a complexity that I had never considered for "bums". These are multi-leveled people with stories behind them. I found I really same to like "The Boys" and their addition as Waterman's helpers is one of the most compelling aspects to this novel, and to the series as a whole. If Ford's characters caught my attention, his writing style helped keep it. His action scenes are beleivable; his descriptions are terse, but evocative; and there is a self-depretiation that flows from Ford through Leo Waterman that I found both refreshing as well as compelling.
Rating:
Summary: What a hoot! :D
Review: I realize this is more of a "me-too" review than any particularly earthshattering revelation about the plot or the author, but as I sit here laughing just thinking about the story, all I can say is "me too"! From Ford's name to his characters (and you'll HAVE to smile when you discover Wanda!), his books are just FUN -- yes, drama, intrigue, suspense, but there's this undercurrent of a man who most of us probably would love to be at least at some point in our lives. In any case, while it's not a great masterstroke of literature, if you're looking for some entertainment for your reading time and money, pick up Wanda. You won't be sorry! :D
Rating:
Summary: An excellent mystery
Review: I'm not a big fan of PI (private investigator) mysteries in general, but this one is definitely
worth picking up even if you are a police procedural or cozy mystery reader. G. M. Ford is very good at describing the Seattle setting and
Leo Waterman, the main character, is one I definitely want to reach more about.
This book reminds me of of John D. MacDonald's books. If you like Travis McGee, you might want to try Leo Waterman.
Rating:
Summary: should i read the 2nd in this series?
Review: If it's just like this one, I don't think so. Reading this makes me realize how fortunate it is to have believable characters and situations in a novel. For example, the main character just doesn't seem to have much of a history, life experiences that would explain how little problem he has killing villians in the novel. He seems like a bit of an amateur detective, and it would've rang more true with me if he didn't kill others easily nor display jackie chan-like fighting maneuvers. There's little suggestion earlier that he has the background for such skills and/or coolness under pressure. There are other such instances in the novel. I'm still giving it three stars since I did manage to finish the book, and am curious enough to consider reading another in the series, but really if it's more of the same, I don't think so.
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