The James Deans (Moe Prager Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: An excellent private investigative tale
Review: Former New York cop Moe Prager and his wife attend a wedding ceremony for his assistant Constance in the fancy Long Island estate of her father. During the gala, Constance's dad Mr. Geary asks Moe if he remembers former State Senator Steven Brightman, whose career died when he was linked to a dead intern, Moira Heaton. At the time of the incident two years ago, Moe was working a difficult case in the Catskills so he knows little about the Brightman incident. Mr. Geary hires Moe to uncover what happened so that Brightman's once bright career can rise from the ashes like a Phoenix. Though Moe owns wine shops in Brooklyn, he accepts the private investigation.

Moe interviews broken down cop Pete Parson and next his father-in-law, a major political fund raiser. Quickly Moe uncovers the identity of the killer, but something does not seem right as the resolution was achieved too easily, too quickly, and too perfectly. Moe continues to make inquiries and soon uncovers a much better buried secret that makes someone want him silent.

THE JAMES DEANS is an excellent private investigative tale starring a delightful inner city "broken down" former cop whose personal life has collapsed ever since his beloved wife miscarried a few months ago; she has failed to emotionally recover.. The investigation is filled with clever twists and turns that seem right yet will stun the audience who will think they have resolved who killed Moira when another spin occurs. Reed Farrel Coleman has provided a fabulous tale starring a strong hero and a wonderful secondary cast that will send the audience seeking more Moe works like WALKING THE PERFECT SQUARE.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I'm too lazy to write much, but this is an absolutely first-class detective novel--several cuts above even quite good other stuff--do get it if you like this kind of thing at all!

Rating:
Summary: Moe Returns in "The James Deans"
Review: This third book in the Moe Prager series ("Walking The Perfect Square", "Redemption Street") finds Moe dealing with a heavy heart as he is handed a case that he does not want. It's 1983 and just a few months after the events of the last novel and Moe sincerely believes that the private investigator bug is out of his system. The wine shop business he runs with his brother has expanded with the opening of a second shop, his wife's design business is taking off, and his daughter, Sarah, has gloriously turned two and is doing exactly what two year olds do.

But, Mr. Geary changes his plans. Mr. Geary wants Moe to look into the disappearance of Moira Heaton, a young intern who was working for State Senator Steven Brightman. Since her disappearance, rumors of extramarital affairs and death have plagued the Senator while Police with few clues have been unable to solve the case. Mr. Geary, because of Moe's past, believes that Moe is the man for the job when others have failed. Moe doesn't want the case and resists Mr. Geary's initial polite request. Mr. Geary is a man of wealth and power and as such is very used to getting his own way. He brings pressure quickly to bear and forces Moe to accept the case.

Of course, Moe will be well compensated but that isn't the point. As Moe works the case, things begin to fall together and Moe is able to do locate a suspect that will clear the Senator. It wouldn't be a Moe Prager book if Moe didn't start wondering about it all and once he starts, he never can leave things well enough alone. This third book in the series continues that tradition of Moe digging far past surface appearances both in the case and his own psyche. This work shares the hallmarks of the series with strong and complex character development, duplicity and greed at every turn and constant complications over shadowed at all times by his internal angst. While his angst over his Jewish faith is considerably less in this novel than in "Redemption Street" it is still there. However, in this case, the angst is more in the form of a Shakespearian morality play where Moe is forced to consider whether what he always wanted is really worth the price those with the power and money to make it happen will extract from him. For fans familiar with the series, Moe's choice is somewhat obvious; hanging in doubt is how he will accomplish righting his own internal scales of justice.

Once again the author pulls the reader deeply into the world of Moe Prager and does not let go until the final page. This latest in the series continues the story arc across the three novels and provides another excellent read. It is strongly recommended for readers new to the series that the novels should be read in order because of the ongoing and evolving character development. That fact along with brief but very complete references to events in the earlier books of this series makes it very difficult to recommend this novel as a stand-alone read. For fans familiar with the series, this is Moe at his best. For those new to the series, you are in for a real treat from one of the consistently best writers around today.

Book Facts:

The James Deans
By Reed Farrel Coleman
Plume
www.penguin.com
ARC,
ISBN # 0-452-28650-6
288 pages,
$12.00

Kevin R. Tipple © 2005