THE NEBRASKA QUOTIENT

by William J. Reynolds ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 7, 1984

Nebraska""--no first name--is the sometime-writer/sometime-shamus who's the hero of this hard-boiled debut; and Reynolds works hard, to some good effect, at making him a Sam Spade/Lew Archer/Travis McGee combo. Living in Omaha and peacefully plying the typewriter, Nebraska is plunged back into p.i. action when his onetime partner, Morris Copel, breaks into his apartment to die there: murdered, with a package of dirty pictures well hidden on his beaten body. Who is the girl in the pix? Adrian Mallory, problem daughter of Sen. Daniel Mallory, a crusading type now up for reelection. What was shamus Copel working on? He was trying to trace the missing brother of sexy Marcie Bell--and Marcie would like Nebraska to take over the job. He does--and finds himself trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle of porn, blackmail, competing gangsters, and corrupt politicians. . . along with some kinky personal relationships that don't quite ring true. Reynolds has a fast, sometimes-funny way with words. And Nebraska's a winning sort. So hard-boiled aficionados may not mind too much that this faintly tongue-in-cheek debut mostly just rehashes lots of familiar territory.

Pub Date: Aug. 7, 1984

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1984

Categories: FICTION