"Hard boiled detective with a touch of the romance"
On his wedding day to Beth Reinhardt, English Professor
Charles Muller fails to show up for the ceremony. Two of
the guests Harding and his lover Alison try to console
Beth. Harding, an ex-con who plays sleuth without a
license, begins searching for Charles because Alison wants
him to do this for her friend Beth. Harding quickly learns that the Chicago police seek to
question the missing Charles on two murder investigations
that seem linked. Harding concludes that there is more to
this case then just a frightened groom fleeing matrimony.
He thinks the tie in goes back to the days when Charles and
Alison were University of Chicago undergraduates living in
the Grand Terrace dorm. Now Harding worries that his
beloved Alison may also be in peril. The third Harding tale, KISS IT GOODBYE, is suggestive
of the hard boiled detective stories though the lead
relationship feels more romantic than the "death ecstasy"
sexual edge of the previous books. The secondary cast is
an eccentric ensemble who keeps the plot running wild and
making life quite complex for the hero. Still with a
engaging story line, a fabulous cast, and a vivid Ferris
Bueller style tour of Chicago, Harding owns John Wessel's
novel as he brings most of the subplots together into a
cohesive taut tale. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted December 2, 2001
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