Barb's Book Reviews: Review of "Cutthroat Dogs: An Amos Walker Mystery" by Loren D. Estleman

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Review of "Cutthroat Dogs: An Amos Walker Mystery" by Loren D. Estleman

In this 29th book in the 'Amos Walker' series, the Detroit private detective looks into the case of a man who may have been wrongly convicted.

*****

As the story opens, hard-boiled private investigator Amos Walker foils a bank robbery by shooting the perpetrator in the leg.

Subsequently, Walker is approached by the bank teller involved in the incident, Chrys Corbeil, who asks Amos to look into her brother's case.

It seems Chrys's brother Dan was convicted of murdering his girlfriend, April Goss, twenty years ago. Chrys believes her brother is innocent, and prevails on Amos to prove it.

Walker learns that Dan Corbeil's attorney was a rookie public defender and that key evidence was suppressed, so he plans to work those angles. Amos assumes the Detroit cops will resent his looking into the Corbeil case, but Detective First-Grade Stan Kopernick - who worked the original investigation - endorses Walker's efforts. Kopernick asserts a 're-investigation' will confirm Corbeil's guilt AND shine a positive light on Kopernick himself.

On the other hand, April Goss's father, Chester Goss, is furious. Chester hosts a reality show called 'Cutthroat Dogs', which encourages the public to call in tips about dangerous criminals. Chester is a real law-and-order type, and he's certain Dan Corbeil murdered April and belongs in prison.

It seems someone REALLY doesn't want the Corbeil case reopened because Amos Walker is stalked and attacked - which only makes him more determined to carry on.

A lot of the fun of the story lies in the character descriptions and snappy dialog, all of which provide some chuckles. This is a good detective story for an afternoon's entertainment.

Rating: 3 stars

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Barb's Book Reviews

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Review of "Cutthroat Dogs: An Amos Walker Mystery" by Loren D. Estleman

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