Gumshoe

Gumshoe by Rob Lininger, the first novel about private investigative trainee, Mortimer Angle, is the most ridiculous, absurd story that I’ve read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just the name of the protagonist should give you a clue to the tongue-in-cheek, wisecracking tone of this novel. After 14 years as an IRS agent, Mort finally decided he had enough, it was time for a career change to something with more adventure, a job that didn’t automatically kill a conversation at a cocktail party.

The story opens with the disappearance of Reno’s mayor and district attorney, who just happen to have been buddies since high school. Within hours of the time Mort has received his license as a PI-trainee, he discovered the decapitated head of Jonnie Sjorgen, the mayor, which he found it in the trunk of the car of his ex-wife, Dallas, who had been sleeping with Jonnie on and off for the last two years. That was just the first of three severed heads found by Mort. The second head was that of the DA, Dave Millliken, and the third was Mort’s nephew Gregory Rudd who ran the PI firm where Mort was working. It turned out that the men’s brains had been removed from their heads, and their genitals were inserted there. Wow, a novel about dickheads.

The author developed some good characters around Mort including a lineage of dark women figures starting with Jacoba, a retarded girl that Jonnie and Dave had some “fun” with during high school. Dallas was horrified by the beheadings, and of course she turned to Mort for comfort. Then there was the stunning and naked “K” who just suddenly appeared in Mort’s bed, and the PI that Mort hired to help him with the case, power lifter and marshal arts star Jeri DiFrazzia.

If you’re in the mood for a break from the usual crime novel genre, this should be a welcome read. The author brings an impossible story to a very satisfactory conclusion. I know I’ll find more time for Rob Leininger novels. Thanks to Matt Gage for the recommendation.

Gumshoe by Rob Leininger

Mortimer Angel ("Mort, please") is early-mid 40s and is "looking at a long empty stretch of road ahead." Divorced from the gorgeous - and rich - Dallas. He quit his job as an IRS field agent. Sixteen years of scaring the liver out of people to squeeze a few quarters out of them. Drives a POS Tercel. And next week he starts his new life as a PI, working for his nephew. Reno, NV. No training. Sounded like fun. Greg, the nephew, says being a PI is not Mickey Spillane or Magnum. It's more hurry up and wait than it is, "Hey, babe."

Dallas has been seeing Jonnie Sjorgen, the current mayor of Reno. Marriage is in the not-too-distant future. Problem is that Jonnie and the Reno DA, Dave Milliken, have gone missing. Been gone for over a week. No clues. No ideas. Just gone like they were beamed up to the Enterprise.

Until Jonnie's head is delivered to Dallas. A day later, Milliken's head is delivered to the DA's office. And they weren't just decapitated. Their brains were scooped out and replaced with their . . . um . . . use your imagination. Mort is there each time and becomes a person of interest to the Reno PD. Now he's the subject of jokes on late-night monologs as the crimes go national.

And then there's that blond sleeping in his bed who left a note for him, signed it simply K. While Greg starts looking closely at Jonnie's business dealings, they sort of subcontract another PI, Jerry DiFrazzia. Make that Jeri.

After Jeri sets herself as the alpha male of the partnership, she and Mort start tracking down clues that  seem to have eluded the police. And what started out as a simple disappearance works its way into a sort of 'I am my own grandfather,' like that song.

Leininger's style is to tell the story through Mort, with Mort as the smart aleck, wisecracking, self-effacing PI (think of him as a cousin to Nelson DeMille's John Corey) who, after a dry spell of a few years now has babes practically throwing themselves at him. Maybe being a PI has some advantages.At least until the perps are revealed for the final countdown. It's all business then.

Not sure if Mort Angel is, or will be, a continuing character, but Leininger has an enjoyable and addictive style. Nowhere near power rotation quality, but certainly a reasonable diversion and worthy of another adventure.

East Coast Don

available November 2015