The Case of the Deceiving Don

by: Carl Brookins

Published by: Five Star (August 20 release)

Reviewed by Linda Lee

Sean Sean is headed home from a boring day of staking out a maybe-not-so-injured claimant in an insurance case. He is interested in relaxing with a cold one, but his interests shift when he is met by squad cars and police officers on his street. An elderly man is dead from an explosion under his wheelchair. Death is common in a neighborhood with five nursing homes, but most of them don’t involve bombs, or the mafia. Seems the dead man had been a minor major in organized crime in Pennsylvania. His aide who had been by his side for years has disappeared. Was he involved in the bombing? How did he escape harm? Where has he gone?

Sean, in his second case, is a bit less slapstick and a bit more on target than in his last outing. This could be due to the audience he’s playing to. The two huge men who hired him to look into the killing could be connected, either way they don’t seem to be the laughing-out-loud type. Now he’s been shot at, and there is a hole in the ceiling of his office to prove it. Besides, someone seems to be stalking him. The woman he keeps running into, is she with the two guys in the blue Audi that keeps turning up? Or is she working alone? Hard to make light of things like that.

The fun still exists as evidenced by Sean’s sneaking into the nursing home and the aid he receives from resident Blanche Essen. It always helps to have a wise and witty octogenarian willing to help. Sean is a gentleman while helping three attractive women defend themselves–even though it isn’t always easy. His conversation with an FBI agent doesn’t yield the answers he’d hope for, but you have to love a G-man with a sense of humor.

Sean Sean could turn into my new favorite gumshoe. Spencer he ain’t, but then he’s just getting started.

Armchair Interviews says: A quirky mystery that anyone would love.