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Polo's Long Shot

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Nick Polo is back in his eleventh adventure, once again helped along by his sidekick, the indomitable octogenarian self-described witch, Mrs. Damonte...

Billionaire vintner Paul Bernier sets San Francisco ex-cop, ex-con, private eye Nick Polo off on a hunt to find a kukri, a priceless golden jewel-encrusted 14th century dagger, designed by the Emperor of India. The dagger has a long, bloody history, passing between war lords throughout the ages, including Saddam Hussain.

The search has Polo bumping heads with Bernier's vindictive stepdaughter, his eccentric household staff, a Miami con man, a crooked private investigator, a drug dealing nightclub owner, a New York Mafia Don, and two viscous murderers.

When all seems lost, Polo gets help from Mrs. Damonte, a self-described Strega, a witch, who believes that a day without a wake is like a day without sunshine.

Praise for POLO'S LONG SHOT:

"Nick Polo is the Saul Goodman of private investigators. He's charming, persuasive, immune to adversity, and just dirty enough to get the job done. He never ceases to amaze and, just when you think he's been bested, always produces an ace in the hole. Not since James Crumley's C.W. Sughrue have I so avidly rooted for a fictional character." —Jonathan Ashley, author of South of Cincinnati

Praise for the Nick Polo mysteries:

"A California PI himself, Kennealy captures some of the classic Hammett/Ross spirit in the Nick Polo series." —Publishers Weekly

"Briskly written, and because Kennealy himself was a working private eye, most persuasive." —Philadelphia Inquirer

"The Polo series all have a strong tradition of tight plotting, crisp dialogue, and self-deprecating humor." —Booklist

"Kennealy writes crisply, brings alive the streets of San Francisco, and plots clearly and interestingly." —Washington Post

"The writing is simple and direct, the action nonstop." —The New York Times

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    • Kirkus

      A San Francisco private investigator's search for purloined valuables gets him entangled with mobsters and murder in Kennealy's (Beggar's Choice, 2013, etc.) latest mystery. Law firm Feveral & Lenahan calls PI Nick Polo to find Al Lamas, a stress-relief consultant who's suspected of stealing from Paul Bernier, a highly-valued client for the firm. Lamas allegedly swiped a 15th-century chauri, or flywhisk, that was insured for $1 million. Bernier also wants Nick to recover something else that Lamas took, as discreetly as possible: a priceless kukri (a Nepalese dagger). Unsurprisingly, Lamas, who has a criminal record for drug-dealing, is nowhere to be found, but Nick learns that he's been known to hang out at a nightclub, Noche, run by Joe Sarco, an ex-cop with mob ties. Nick uses his copious connections, including antiques expert Malene Tasse, who's well-known for mixing with art thieves, and police inspector Bob Tehaney, whose boss, Lt. Judy Loesser, has a special animosity for the PI. Nick is willing to commit the occasional lesser crime to get the job done, such as breaking and entering, but things get decidedly more complicated when police discover a dead body--with Nick's card in his pocket. Kennealy's returning detective is a marvelous character. Despite the fact that he's done an eight-month stretch in prison for misappropriating evidence, he isn't the hardened character that readers may anticipate. In fact, he's quite charming and magnanimous, even leasing one of his inherited flats to Mrs. Damonte, a self-proclaimed witch who doesn't pay nearly enough in rent. He's a curious blend of old-school and contemporary, using a fax machine and an answering service but also snapping photos with a handy iPhone. The mystery at hand is replete with double-crossings and myriad suspects, including Sarco's cronies and Bernier's employees and indifferent, adopted daughter. There are also strong female secondary characters, including Malene and Mrs. Damonte, as well as informative police receptionist, Dolores Compos. The best scene, an attempt to buy a stolen item, exemplifies the book's tone, as it's as unexpected as it is hilarious. A cheeky tale with a detective who both embraces and defies tradition.

      COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (Online Review)

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  • English

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