WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HIT MAN MEETS HIS NEW MOTHER-IN-LAW?
Multiple Shamus Award winner Loren D. Estleman is "a superb stylist as well as a deft storyteller [who] paints his people and his city with acerbic wit and wry affection" (San Diego Union-Tribune). Peter Macklin was a hit man for a long time but he has taken steps to distance himself from his past, like quitting the mob, moving away from Detroit, and marrying the gorgeous, intelligent Laurie. But, retirement isn't easy for an ex-hit man.
Now the man accustomed to killing people in cold blood must adjust to a sadistic ritual of early marriage...he must spend time with his eccentric mother-in-law. This event takes an unexpected turn when Macklin discovers her boyfriend Benjamin Grinnell is a spotter for a gang of armed robbers. Unfortunately, Grinnell made a big mistake: he failed to spot a shotgun-toting shop-owner. Now not only is Grinnell's life threatened, but so is Laurie's...and her mother's.
Macklin, driven by his professional curiosity and his desire to protect his family, can't help but get involved. As Macklin investigates Grinnell's dark affairs, he inevitably gets tangled up with Grinnell's enemies, including the Ohio mob... and the law. All parties converge in a deadly shootout, with the lives of Macklin's loved ones and the fate of his marriage precariously hanging in the balance.
"It has more strength, energy and crunchy dialogue than 90 percent of the books surrounding it in stores. Reading an Estleman mystery is like watching really great veteran hitters at bat, seeing how they bring everything they've learned over the years to each turn at bat."
Chicago Tribune on Poison Blonde
"Macklin is a creation of surprising depth and intelligence, and he and Laurie make a good match."
Wes Lukowsky, Booklist on Something Borrowed, Something Black
"Loren D. Estleman is a master. He is one of my heroes."
