Windy City Blues
Summary:
Jules Landau feels right at home in the ethnic stew of the Windy City, where he’s indebted to the hopes and schemes of his criminal ancestors. Street-smart and college-educated, Jules wants nothing more than to go straight and atone for his family’s past. But when he investigates a horrific killing, Jules uncovers a hidden world of lucrative corruption.
Jack Gelashvili had his head bashed in and no one knows why. The most obvious answer is that he was a parking cop, a universally loathed job—especially in Chicago. Turns out there’s a lot of money to be made on expired meters, and when Jules starts making noise, he starts making enemies—from the head of a media empire to the mastermind of a prostitution ring. When rumors of bloodthirsty Mob connections arise, Jack’s gorgeous cousin Tamar objects, and Jules is increasingly swayed by the logic and charms of the sexy baker. Following this beautiful woman into the cloistered world of Georgian immigrants, Jules brings his hunches, his family connections, and his gun. But he’s just one man against a pack of criminals with a million reasons to shoot first. (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was very much an old school crime saga in a modern setting. The entire book gave me the sense of dark clouds, greyed out colors and hats pulled over eyes. I envisioned a very similar setting to the beginning of “Watchman” accurate or not. One of my favorite things I liked about the book was the accurate portrayal of Chicago. The locations and descriptions of the various neighborhoods were legitimate and as a long-time resident of Chicago, I loved tracking on a map where the character was going.
It was a fun read though I at times had trouble following what was happening in the action scenes. Regardless, I found the portrayal of the meter maids and police at city hall funny and not that far off the mark. The story was solid and certainly had enough to keep it interesting. I did not find myself compelled to stay up late to finish the book, but over all a very solid and fun mystery read.
Warning: Contains violence.
Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of TLC Book Tours.
Rating: 4 stars!
Who should read it? Fans of old school crime stories.
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