Practice to Deceive

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Housewright's Edgar Award-winning first novel, Penance, introduced readers to Holland Taylor, a wisecracking, cynical ex-cop turned PI. Now Taylor takes on a shocking embezzlement case that puts millions of dollars, the reputations of the city's most powerful people--and even Taylor's own life--on the line... "Housewright follows up his Edgar-winning debut with a greased lightning tale of scam and counterscam."-- Kirkus Reviews"A colorful cast of characters."-- Cleveland Plain Dealer"Excellent."-- Nevada Barr"Clever...believable...lively."-- Philadelphia Inquirer****Amazon.com ReviewAt first, reading about Holland Taylor might seem like déjà vu. He's a former cop turned private detective; he has an African American associate who covers his back, a high-level friend on the police force, and a smart lady who tries to keep him on the straight path. He also practices martial arts, brews exotic coffee, and favors a special brand of local beer. But author David Housewright isn't doing a Spenser rip-off; he's just having fun telling a good story while ringing a few changes on Robert Parker. Taylor works out of Minnesota's Twin Cities, a long way from Spenser's Boston, and Housewright's plot is as open-faced as his genial homage. Asked by his father to help an 85-year-old neighbor recover the life savings stolen from her by an oily investment counselor, Taylor uses a cross-dressing computer genius to harass the swindler. Things quickly turn nasty and lots of shots are fired--some are deadly. Housewright's Edgar Award-winning first book about Taylor, Penance, is available in paperback. From Library JournalBrian Emerson returns with a deadpan Dragnet reading as Holland Taylor. This PI caper opens with a series of trite high school pranks as Hollands first attempt to squeeze out the embezzler of elderly Mrs. Gustafsons life savings. Millions of dollars and the reputations of high-profile Twin Cities citizens are at stake as a hired gun stalks Holland and key suspects Levering and Amanda Field. Housewright does a meager job of characterizing Taylor and Cynthia Gray, Taylors love interest cum lawyer, while others are left with cardboard personalities. Recommended only where recorded PI stories are very popular.Sandy Glover, West Linn P.L., ORCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.