Little Black Dress: A Peter Macklin Mystery

ISBN: 076534789X

Author: Estleman, Loren D.

Condition: New

Product Description WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A HIT MAN MEETS HIS NEW MOTHER-IN-LAW? Multiple Shamus Award winner Loren D. Estleman is "a superb stylist as well as a deft storyteller [who] paints his people and his city with acerbic wit and wry affection" (San Diego Union-Tribune). Peter Macklin was a hit man for a long time but he has taken steps to distance himself from his tattooed past, like quitting the mob, moving away from Detroit, and marrying the gorgeous, intelligent Laurie. But retirement isn't easy for an ex-hit man. Now the man accustomed to killing people in cold blood must adjust to a sadistic ritual of early marriage he must spend time with his eccentric mother-in-law. This event takes an unexpected turn when Macklin discovers mom-in-law's boyfriend Benjamin Grinnell is a spotter for a gang of armed robbers. Unfortunately, Grinnell made a big mistake: he failed to spot a shotgun-toting shop-owner, whom the gang had to turn into red mist. Now Grinnell's life is threatened, and Grinnell's jeopardy endangers his sweetie and Laurie. Macklin, driven by his professional curiosity and his desire to protect his family, can't help but get involved. As Macklin investigates Grinnell's dark affairs, he inevitably gets tangled up with Grinnell's enemies, including the Ohio mob and the law. All parties converge in a deadly shootout, with the lives of Macklin's loved ones and the fate of his marriage precariously hanging in the balance. Review "Loren D. Estleman is a master.  He is one of my heroes."--Harlan Coben "Macklin is a creation of surprising depth and intelligence, and he and Laurie make a good match." --Wes Lukowsky, Booklist on Something Borrowed, Something Black "A hit man as the hero of a whodunit series?...only Estleman would have the chutzpah to try."--Chicago Sun-Times on Kill Zone "It has more strength, energy and crunchy dialogue than 90 percent of the books surrounding it in stores.  Reading an Estleman mystery is like watching really great veteran hitters at bat, seeing how they bring everything they've learned over the years to each turn at bat."--Chicago Tribune on Poison Blonde "The story vibrates with letter-perfect details, and the plot, with changing locations and changing points of view, is deftly handled.  Each character, major or minor, is fresh and real, and this creates a terrific energy throughout the book, demonstrating once again why Estleman has won so many awards."--Publishers Weekly on Something Borrowed, Something Black "Spell-binding. Just about anything Estleman writes is worth reading."--Reviewing the Evidence on Something Borrowed, Something Black "A truly entertaining read and well worth picking up. Loren D. Estleman is, as usual, on the top of his game. I just wish he could write faster!"--Books N Bytes on Something Borrowed, Something Black About the Author Loren D. Estleman has written more than fifty novels. In his illustrious career his fiction has already netted 4 Shamus Awards, 4 Golden Spur Awards, and 3 Western Heritage Awards. He lives with his wife, author Deborah Morgan, in central Michigan. Excerpt. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter OneIt was always a mistake to generalize; but, dear God, security guards were dumb.Grinnell spotted him two steps inside the door, browsing the Japanese Animation racks in a Hawaiian shirt with the tail out over his sidearm, khaki slacks, and clod-buster black oxfords, the kind whose soles formed a lip all around with white stitching to make the feet that wore them look even bigger. He never stooped even once to look at the videos on the lower shelves, saving his energy to pretend to read the descriptions on the boxes he took off the top. He wore a bar of black moustache as thick as his thumb and his hair looked as if he cut it himself. He might as well have been wearing a uniform.The layout was identical to all the other stores in the chain, a case man's dream. It had separate doors for ent