Jon A. Jackson

This installment strays even farther from the Detroit scene. More of an international intrigue than a mystery. I am not sure I like the semi-legitimate Joe Service. Interesting episodes in Kosovo and in the old mines in Montana.

The series seems to have lost its roots in Detroit. Elaborate plots, exactly like Joe Service believes do not work when planning "real" capers. All to elaborate plot to fake the death of the Fat Man. It seems that Joe recovers too readily.

Just not to my taste. An attempt to incorporate the Jimmy Hoffa story into the Mulheisen series, including an explanation of Hoffa's fate. Plus a retrospective-reintroducing Grootka. The book with that title was very good. This one may be well done, but it does not appeal to me. A lot of stuff about jazz music scene.

This is becoming less like a series of novels and more like a serially presented story. I am not fond of this development. Mulheisen was at his best as a Detroit cop pursuing Detroit cases. This traipsing all over the greater midwest requires too much explanation to make it plausible. Still, the explanation is skillfully done and does not weigh down the narrative too much. When Mulheisen was walking downtown Salt Lake City, I fleetingly thought if he might run into Moroni Traveler.