Stark House is best known for publishing reprints of some really wonderful older books by writers like Harry Whittington, Peter Rabe, Sid Fleischman, and a lot of others. Recently, however, the press has put out some original novels by Charlie Stella, who has a brief introduction to the newest original, Grind Joint, by Dana King
A grind joint is sort of a low-rent casino for the locals, and the one under construction in Penns River in western Pennsylvania. Someone dumps a body on its doorstep before it even opens.
It falls to Detective Ben Dougherty to investigate the case, and what he runs into is considerably more complicated that he must have thought when he started. There's the logical suspect, Mike Mannarino, and old-line mafia guy, but the mafia ain't what it used to be. Only Mannarino and a couple of his guys are left in Penns River. Then there are the Russians. Whereas the mafia guys were predictable and more or less under control, the Russian gang members are totally nuts. They don't want to go along and get along. They'll just kill you. And there are a few other complications as well, including some problems on the police force.
This is a procedural with mob overtones, but it's not just the plot that grabs you. It's all good. The town, the cops, and the characters are all so well drawn that it's hard to stop reading. You should check it out.
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