Review of CICEROS DEAD by Self Publishing Review: Ciceros Dead by Patrick H. Moore is hard-boiled noir at its finest. The book introduces private investigator Nick Crane, whos investigating the death of drug kingpin Cicero, a victim of a hit and run. His vixen-like daughter, Jade is searching for her brother, Richard, whos now missing. The case leads Nick Crane to the bowels of crimeridden Los Angeles and face to face with outlaw biker gangs, Hollywood cast-offs, seamy lawyers, and a host of other offbeat characters from L.As underbelly. A noir thriller needs to have a solid protagonist, and Nick Crane is a very fine addition to the canon. Though hes heavily reminiscent of Marlowe and the greats, this is actually a testament to Patrick Moores writing: Nick Crane is an incredibly strong character with a vivid narrative voice. A nice touch is giving Nick Crane a punk rock wife and adopted daughter, bringing Crane into the modern age, while still sounding like a forties-era private dick. The plot is complicated as a noir should be as well, and reaches a satisfying conclusion. Not Big Sleep-complicated, because Moore is firmly in control of his narrative and his characters throughout the novel. Setting is enormously well-established as well. As someone raised in L.A., Moore is great at getting down L.A.s ugliness and weird mystery. Theres a reason noir so often takes place in Los Angeles. L.A. is at once more glamorous than anywhere else, and more down and out. Moore perfectly captures this juxtaposition, matching the narrative force of the greats of crime fiction. All in all, Ciceros Dead is an excellent addition to the library of L.A. noir. With the book Patrick H. Moore introduces a classic noir protagonist and launches himself as a major crime writer to watch. 4.5 stars
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 20:11:02 +0000
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