A TABLE ROCK MYSTERY

A Chicago mob operative tries to collect on a loan made to a bar owner in the Ozarks in Wood’s novel.

Mickey Paladino and his girlfriend, Kylie, are in Branson, Missouri, trying to live a comfortable life as bar-and-grill owners in a resort town. The business, Mickey Flynn’s, has three locations, and Mickey has also bought a leisure boat business with $350,000 that he borrowed from Lucas Juliano of the Chicago Mafia. Juliano’s lawyer wants a meeting, and Mickey tells Kylie to pack for a trip to Chicago. “He knew that, unlike how he felt about traveling, Kylie was ‘ants-on sugar bread excited’ just at the suggestion that they were leaving Southwest Missouri.” Unfortunately, the trip doesn’t go well; Juliano’s lawyer tells Mickey the loan is being recalled, he must pay it back immediately, and an extra $150,000 has been added to the tab. Flabbergasted, the couple returns to Branson, and Kylie suggests an idea to raise the money. Mickey likes the sound of it, but there’s another issue: Mickey Flynn’s was put up as collateral for the loan, and Mickey’s ex-wife, Emily Flynn Paladino, is 50% owner of the business. Mickey knows that he and Kylie are in danger if the loan isn’t repaid, but Emily is in grave danger, too. Juliano wants ownership of Mickey Flynn’s, and it’s looking like he might kill to get it. Wood’s crime novel combines multiple elements to keep the action going, including mob stories, police drama, and all the odd things that can happen in rural or resort areas. An abundance of characters, some of whom are mentioned early and never reappear, decelerates the pace at times. In addition, there’s no clear protagonist to guide us through this complex, layered story. The premise, however, is convincing, and while the cast is overly large, it’s peopled with three-dimensional figures living in realistic, well-drawn settings.

A solid, engaging, but overstuffed hardboiled crime story.