The End of Brooklyn -- Robert J. Randisi

I met Bob Randisi at a Bouchercon about 30 years ago, so I started reading his books about as soon as the first ones were published. I have copies of the first Henry Po book (The Disappearance of Penny) and the first Miles Jacoby book (Eye in the Ring) on my shelves, and both those private-eyes make brief appearances in Randisi's latest private-eye novel, The End of Brooklyn. There's also a nice little joke about them.

The End of Brooklyn is the third and supposedly the final Nick Delvecchio novel, though I'm pretty sure Randisi would never say never. This one picks up about 15 years after the previous book, and Nick's living in hiding the midwest as a result of his last case. It's a frame story, and in the prologue the guys he's been hiding from come to his house. Nick proceeds to tell them the story that follows, about his investigation into the supposed suicide of one of his high-school classmates with becomes entangled with the murder of his father. Lots of death and dying here, and plenty of good reasons not to return to Brooklyn.

Fast-paced storytelling, some nice twists, and a satisfactory conclusion. When you're in the mood for a private-eye story, this would be a fine choice. Check it out.