ISLAND OF STEEL

by Stephen Paul Cohen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 19, 1988

The second appearance of New York's Eddie Margolis, now solidly sober and working for p.i. Charlie Murphy--who sends him off to the upscale Fenner, Covington & Pine, realty legal firm, to find their missing attorney Raymond Fidel. Senior partner Bill Bryant is patronizingly helpful; Alice, who assumed Fidel's case load, is all business; and Fidel's chief clients--cigar-chomping screamer Sam Pulaski and Forbes' rich, ride-in-my-new-heliocoptor Alfred Norens--are, respectively, obnoxious and devious. Via a postcard in Fidel's apartment, Eddie tracks him to Lauderdale, where he's tailed to slimy Scott's place; Scott is then murdered, Fidel's on the lam, and Eddie's framed for murder--and blazing mad at his new boss for getting him into this fix. Meanwhile, the law firm still wants Fidel found; so when Eddie's sprung (no evidence), he delves into Fidel's files and comes up with a possible real-estate scare. Moreover, a message on Fidel's desk indicates that Michael Dorfman, an attorney pushed to his death from his office window, had reason to call Fidel a few hours before the leap. Whodunit? The resolution occurs in the Hudson Harbor Office complex, where Pulaski is sent for a ride in a rigged coptor, a goon is warned off breaking Eddie's fingers, Norens takes a flying leap, and a Fenner, Covington & Pine partner is booted from the firm. Not nearly as gritty as Heartless, but Eddie and Charlie show promise, and there's a modest plot of moderate interest. Overall: solid readability.

Pub Date: Oct. 19, 1988

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Morrow

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1988

Categories: FICTION