Done for a Dime

I'm used to good mysteries taking clichés and making them fresh, but in this case there's not one cliché in sight. This story, set in a depressed, ramshackle community south of the San Francisco bay, starts with the murder of a musician. The first third of the book follows the murder investigation as two cops bring in the most obvious suspects and try to nail it down. Then we abruptly move to another crime-in-the-making, a shady character who is using a young firebug (connected to the murder in the first section) to set the place alight for some even shadier clients. The third part deals with the aftermath, as the scam spins out of control, the sinister dealings of some local business types are matched in cynicism by the feds and the brass, and a detective tries to put it all together even though the only person who's willing to help is the criminal who lined it up and has fallen out with his crew. returnreturnThe writing is superb, the characters deeply realized, and though the time frame is only two days, it's worked out with amazing texture and depth. Exhilarating, draining, sad, and brilliant. Though it's hardly a feel-good story, when I read a book this good, it makes me hopeful for the industry. No high concept, no tricks, no gimmicks, just honest, solid writing, straight from the heart.