Entertaining story about Chicago P.I. Harry Garnish. He’s trying to find out who killed his friend and fellow P.I. No one, not even his boss, seems to care. This is the first of four Harry Garnish mysteries. The last is 1993’s “Liar’s Poker.”
The head of the O’Toole Investigative Agency retired and Harry Garnish hoped to take over. Imagine his surprise when O’Toole’s sixty year old daughter Bridget showed up to run the agency. She was a nun who left the convent to take over.
Fred Healey had a late night meeting in a deserted parking lot. His body was discovered in the back seat of his car all sliced up. It gets complicated as Harry and Fred’s wife Marianne were having an affair. While Harry is walking Marianne out of the office in the street someone shoots her and she ends up in the hospital.
Fred left a cassette behind telling Harry to go to a bar and check the mens’ room for a key to a locker. Inside is a package he wants to delivered to the wealthy Harmon Wright. He says he’ll get twenty grand for it. Wright runs a business called Ecology, In., dedicated to saving endangered species. When he carries out the instructions he discovers that there isn’t a key.
He’s confronted by a man named Knobby who wants to take him somewhere. Harry gets away. Turns out he was to be taken to Yolanda Wright, Harmon’s wife. The package is supposed to be two pounds of cocaine.
Later on Knobby shows up again. This time he takes him to see Harmon. Bridget was in his office earlier because she’s suspicious of what’s really going on at E.I. Harry gets a visit from a stranger who wants him to pick up a package late at night. It involves an investigative reporter who has information on the shading doing’s at Ecology,Inc. When he goes to the meeting he’s in for another surprise and another shooting.
Harry Garnish is always cracking wise and there are some laugh out loud moments making for a very enjoyable start to the series.
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