Lucky Bones - (A Sam Kelson Mystery) by Michael Wiley (Hardcover)

About the Book

Genevieve Bower has hired Sam Kelson, a former Chicago cop turned private investigator, to recover her stolen shoes from her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend - but no one's seen Genevieve's boyfriend for the past two weeks. In his search, Kelson comes across a body, shot in the head. A clear-cut case of suicide - or is it? What is this case really about?

Book Synopsis

A case of stolen shoes leads maverick Chicago PI Sam Kelson into something far darker and deeper in the second of this hardhitting crime noir series.

"My boyfriend's been stealing my Jimmy Choos." Genevieve Bower has hired private investigator Sam Kelson to recover her stolen shoes from her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. The problem is that no one's seen Genevieve's boyfriend for the past two weeks.

Events take a disturbing twist when, in his search for the shoes, Kelson comes across a body, shot in the head. A clear-cut case of suicide ― or is it? Has Kelson's client been wholly honest with him? What is this case really about?

At the same time, an explosion rips through one of the city's public libraries, leaving a friend's nephew critically injured. Could there be a connection? If there is, Kelson's determined to find it. But Kelson's not like other investigators. Taking a bullet in the brain during his former career as a Chicago cop, he suffers from disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned ― and his involuntary outspokenness is about to lead him into dangerous waters...

From the Back Cover

MICHAEL WILEY LUCKY BONES "My boyfriend's been stealing my Jimmy Choos." Genevieve Bower has hired private investigator Sam Kelson to recover her stolen shoes from her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. The problem is that no one's seen Genevieve's boyfriend for the past two weeks. Events take a disturbing turn when, in his search for the shoes, Kelson comes across a body, shot in the head. A clear-cut case of suicide - or is it? Has Kelson's client been wholly honest with him? What is this case really about? At the same time, an explosion rips through one of the city's public libraries, leaving a friend's nephew critically injured. Could there be a connection? If there is, Kelson's determined to find it. But Kelson's not like other investigators. Taking a bullet in the brain during his former career as a Chicago cop, he suffers from disinhibition: he cannot keep silent or tell lies when questioned - and his involuntary outspokenness is about to lead him into dangerous waters .

Review Quotes

"An excellent noir that will attract readers who appreciate the anguished protagonists of Steve Hamilton and Loren D. Estleman."-- "Library Journal Starred Review of Blue Avenue"

"Engrossing ... Readers will want to see more of the complex Dast."-- "Publishers Weekly on Monument Road"

"Humor enhances the clever whodunit plot. Wiley's quirky lead, who's unable to keep his thoughts to himself because of his injury, will appeal to fans of oddball sleuths like Jonathan Lethem's Lionel Essrog."-- "Publishers Weekly"

"Like your noir pitch-black? So does Wiley."-- "Kirkus Reviews on Monument Road"

"Noir fiction doesn't get much darker ... Wiley is extremely good at creating an atmosphere of menacing dread ... New shocks occur all the way to the last page."-- "Publishers Weekly Starred Review of Blue Avenue"

"This darkly humorous PI novel offers nonstop, violent action, and is perfect for readers who enjoy Donald Westlake's quirky "Dortmunder" characters."-- "Library Journal"

"Wiley keeps the twists coming."-- "Publishers Weekly on Trouble in Mind"

About the Author

Michael Wiley was brought up in Chicago, and now teaches literature at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. As well as the Sam Kelson series, he is the Shamus Award-winning author of the Chicago-based Joe Kozmarski PI series, the Daniel Turner and Franky Dast series. His Franky Dast thriller, Monument Road, was nominated for the 2018 Shamus Best PI Novel Award.