Lullaby Town by Robert Crais

Peter Alan Nelsen is the King of Adventure movies, directing blockbuster after blockbuster. But he has pangs of guilt from a college marriage and child that left his life 10-12 years ago. So he hires Elvis Cole, an LA private investigator to track them down because he really wants to meet his son.

The former wife, Karen, left LA for parts unknown, but finding people who don't want to be found is the specialty of Elvis Cole and his partner, the very creepy Joe Pike. While Karen tried to leave unnoticed, for someone like Elvis, she left a trail a mile wide. She is now in Connecticut living a safe life in a small town . . . bank VP, the PTA, library advisory committee . . . with her son Toby. Obviously, the arrival of Elvis trying to bring back her past is not welcome.

While meeting with Karen and telling her that Peter has no ulterior motives other than to meet his son, Elvis stumbles onto a mob connection to Karen. Charlie DeLuca (aka Charlie the Tuna), son of Sal, the capo del tutti capos (the big cheese of the NY mob), is laundering money through Karen and she wants out. So Elvis (and now Joe Pike) agree to get her out from under the mob.

NYC is subdivided by the major families. Charlie the Tuna has a deal going where he finds out when a competing mob's drug shipments are coming in through JFK. He gets some guys from a low rent Jamaican mob to do the heist and sell the dope with Charlie getting a cut that gets laundered through Karen's bank. Guess the families don't like scumbags messing with their business.

To get Karen out, Elvis confronts Sal about his son's dealings. But jerk that Charlie is wants revenge. He whacks his dad and heads off to Connecticut to deal with Karen, Toby, Elvis, Pike, and now Peter Alan Nelsen . . . a confrontation that sends Charlie off to swim with his tuna.

Three other Crais novels have been posted here: The 2 Minute Rule, the LA Requiem, and The Watchman. This 1992 book shows us that Elvis Cole is a bit of a smart ass (aren't most fictional PIs?). When asked his fee, he says "$4000" to which a producer says they can't pay that, so Elvis says, "Then how about $6000?" And Joe Pike is pretty weird, but good to have around when the shit hits the fan. I left out a number of subplots, especially with Peter arrives and basically says "I'm Peter Alan Nelsen. I can do anything." and attempts to reason with Charlie the Tuna. Yeah, like that was a good idea. Good mystery, in sort of a fish out of water way, with an LA PI digging around the in the business of the NY mob and in the end, gaining grudging respect from the NY capos. His new title The First Rule, due in Jan 2010, features Joe Pike. I am now #155 on the request list at the library. I'll be back for more Crais.

East Coast Don