Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway

September 2, 2013
Tattooed private investigator Dewitt is at it again in this sequel to Granâs Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead. This time, sheâs determined to get answers about the death of an ex-boyfriend that police think was the result of a botched home invasion. Dewitt knows otherwise, and puts her quirky methods to the test in solving the mystery. While pursuing hints revealed in dreams, taking cocaine, and connecting clues, Dewitt draws closer to the killer and discovers more about herself in the process. Carol Monda narrates with a classic noir delivery, a syrupy tone, and plenty of attitude. With a slightly raspy voice, Monda is provocative in her emphasis and infuses the story with dramatic flair. Dewitt fans will be delighted. A Houghton Mifflin Harcourt hardcover.

April 15, 2013
Gran succumbs to sophomore slump in her second Claire DeWitt mystery (after 2011’s Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead). An atypical PI who would be at home in a Hunter Thompson story, the sarcastic Claire relies on her dreams, mind-enhancing drugs, a computer-hacker assistant, and her professional bible, Détection by French detective Jacques Silette, to solve crimes. Claire has moved to San Francisco, where she’s caught up in the murder of her old boyfriend, Paul Casablancas, in what appears to be a botched robbery. She follows clues about Paul’s murder and comforts his rock-musician widow, Lydia Nunez, while investigating miniature horse thefts and while looking into the disappearance of an old friend who vanished during the 1980s in Manhattan’s East Village. Rehashed plot points, wearisome characters (Claire’s manic personality can grate), and a rushed denouement make this a lesser effort from a talented author. Agent: Barney Karpfinger, the Karpfinger Agency.

Narrator Carol Monda is terrific in this second Claire DeWitt detective story. Her deep voice manages the detached, no-nonsense affect of Jack Webb in the old "Dragnet" TV series while still making the listener care about Claire. Claire is working on two cases. Her former lover, Paul, has been murdered in what appears to be a botched robbery, and she and her assistant, Claude, are investigating the disappearance of valuable miniature horses. Monda does everything right. Her men sound masculine. Women sound like women. And when she quotes Jacques Silette, Claire's detecting mentor, Monda's French accent is convincing. Flashbacks and nightmares flesh out Claire's backstory, and, as she becomes increasingly dependent on cocaine, Monda keeps a tight grip on a life flying out of control. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine