Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pg. 69: Thomas Kaufman's "Steal the Show"

The current feature at the Page 69 Test: Steal the Show by Thomas Kaufman.

About the book, from the publisher:
Willis Gidney needs money because he’s found a girl.

No, no, not that kind of girl. This is an abandoned baby girl. Gidney found her on a case. So he hands the girl to the cops, right?

Wrong, because Gidney started life the same way---abandoned. He knows all about D.C.’s juvenile-justice system, having barely survived it himself. That makes it hard to give up the girl. Too bad that unmarried private eyes aren’t usually thought of as ideal parents. So now Gidney needs a lawyer, and that means money.

Enter Rush Gemelli, a code-writing hacker who pays Gidney to commit a felony. Just a small one. Nothing serious, really, but you know how these things can snowball. Gidney thinks this is a onetime venture, but Gemelli has other ideas. He blackmails Gidney into joining up with his father, Chuck, the head of the motion picture lobby in D.C. And when Chuck’s former partner is murdered, it looks like someone may be playing Gidney.

Add to that the unwanted attentions of a crazed actress, the D.C. case worker from hell, and the Vietnamese and Salvadoran gangs out to kill him, and it’s all Gidney can do to keep from getting his movie ticket punched--permanently.

A unique hero, a quirky cast, and a riveting mystery make Steal the Show a winner.
Learn more about the book and author at Thomas Kaufman's website and blog.

Kaufman is an Emmy-winning director/cameraman who also writes mysteries. His first book, Drink the Tea, won the PWA/St Martin's Press Competition for Best First Novel. Kaufman's blog tour for Steal the Show continues at Jen's Book Thoughts, The Rap Sheet, and Writers Read.

The Page 69 Test: Drink the Tea.

The Page 69 Test: Steal the Show.

--Marshal Zeringue