Infernal Angels

Starred review from May 9, 2011
Shamus Awardâwinner Estleman demonstrates that the art of inserting a Philip Marloweâesque hero into modern times is alive and well in his 21st novel featuring Detroit PI Amos Walker (after 2010's The Left-Handed Dollar). Reuben Crossgrain, proprietor of Past Presence ("Everything you require for the Modern Regressive Lifestyle"), hires Walker to recover 25 TV converter boxes that allow the owner to watch HDTV on an analog set, although the total value of the loss isn't much more than Walker's standard retainer. The detective hits the pavement to identify the likely recipients of the hot items, and his digging soon attracts the attention of ex-Detroit police detective Mary Ann Thaler, who now works in D.C. on homeland security. As the bodies start to drop, Estleman presents a powerful view of the battered inner city, where federally funded housing ends up derelict. Three decades on, Estleman and Walker show no signs of slowing down.