When Tony T Tunderew produces a thinly veiled ‘tell all’ book about Governor Harry Keene he and the book become an instant success. Tony, a well-known homophobe, soon is embroiled in divorce from his wife of thirteen years.
He is being blackmailed and is up to his eyeballs in underhanded chicanery. Dick Hardesty PI is hired by Tunderew to locate the man he knows is blackmailing him. Hardesty and Tunderew part ways when Hardesty widens his investigation beyond just the dupe Tunderew had used to gain information for his book.
Tunderew’s second book will soon be ready for publishing and rumor has it that it too sizzles. Hardesty and his partner Jonathan take in a young former hustler Randy Jacobs who has been kicked out of his work program at New Eden where Jonathan is involved in landscaping of the site.
When Tunderew and Randy are found dead in an auto crash the mystery only deepens. Before long a string of murdered young former street people, blasé former wife and peculiar leaders of New Eden convince Hardesty that there is more to the deaths than just an auto crash.
Dorien Grey is only getting better. Filled with the profusely drawn scenarios, paradoxical ingeniously woven twists of story line and quick-witted, deceptive characters we have come to expect from this writer The Dirt Peddler possibly the best work produced by Writer Grey to date.
The Dirt Peddler is a commanding read remarkably masterminded by an accomplished teller of tales in the manner of authors Dashiell Hammett and William Manchee.
Disparity is plenteous in this well drawn tale. Well-fleshed characters are engaging and fiduciary. Energetic colloquy is at times gritty and filled with touching angst in this impressive fast paced page-turner.
The Dirt Peddler takes an unpleasant character in the form of Tunderew and weaves a reader grabber around him from the first page right down to the last paragraph. The circumstances surrounding the unlikeable Tunderew’s demise are grist for the tale wrought in clever detail by writer Grey.
Old friends to the reader are again present as Dick Hardesty and Jonathan grow in their relationship. Phil and Tim, Bob Allen, attorney Glen O’Banyon and Lt. Richman return to visit with Hardesty, or grab a bite to eat or a drink at Ramons, Napoleons or Hughies.
Watch for those famous Dorien Grey red herrings. The Dirt Peddler has more than enough of them to confuse most readers.
The Dirt Peddler is a good read for a lazy summer afternoon.
Happy to Recommend.
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Reviewed by: Molly's Reviews, molly martin
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