Since I enjoy W. L. Ripley's novels about Wyatt Storme so much, I thought I'd try his other series and see if it's just as good. And, sure enough, it is.Cole Springer is a smart-mouthed piano player who owns his own bar in Aspen, but he's broke and could use some money. He also happens to be a former Secret Service agent and Iraq vet who's mighty handy with a gun and a knife. (Okay, I don't know about the knife; I couldn't resist stealing that line from "Wolverton Mountain. The gun part, though, I'm sure about.)
Max Shapiro is a real estate guy who's also a money launderer for the mob. When he finds out he has cancer, he tells the mob to kiss off. Then he finds out he doesn't have cancer, after all. Uh-oh. What he needs is a bodyguard, and Springer's the best.
Add a hitman having a midlife crisis, a beautiful Colorado state cop, hapless mob types, Shapiro's girlfriend who's way too good for him, Feds out to make a name for themselves (and who happen to the the cop's ex-husband and ex-lover) plus the gambit devised by Springer to save Shapiro, get rich, and solve all the other problems.
What you get is a fast-moving story full of quirky characters, action, great one-liners, and a well worked out caper. It's funny, too, and the writing is a pure pleasure to read. Now I have to look for the other books in the series because I'm well and truly hooked.
3 comments:
This is yet another of those authors I mean to try someday. When? Who knows.
This is actually the first W.L. Ripley book I read, and it inspired me to get all of his other books.
You had me at "caper." I'll have to track down W. L. Ripley's books, too! Sounds like my kind of action novel.
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