Fiddle Game

October 1, 2007
This uneven debut introduces bail bondsman Herman Jackson, who sees nothing unusual when a woman calling herself Amy Cox comes to his office to arrange bail for her brother. She offers her violin as collateral, claiming it's an Amati worth $60,000 or more. Shortly after handing over the instrument to Jackson and getting a replacement from a nearby pawn shop, Amy is killed and the loaner stolen. Thus begins a wild, extravagant bait-and-switch. To get to the bottom of Amy's death and figure out who's conning him, Jackson must go back 60 years to learn the full story of the violin. The most charming character is a brassy waitress, Rosie, who plays Watson to Jackson's Holmes. Jackson himself is not especially well-developed, and the mystery would be stronger with fewer plot twists. Still, Jackson's location on the edge of the justice system is a good setup for a sequel, and with a bit of seasoning, Thompson may have a successful series on his hands.

October 1, 2007
There should be more bail bondsmen in crime fictionits a trade that lets the practitioner go up and down societys elevator, from defendants to cops to lawyers and judges. In this socko debut novel, Thompsons hero, newly minted St. Paul, Minnesota, bondsman Herman Jackson, is on the run from his old life as a Detroit bookie. Unfortunately, his new job and home arent quite as sedate as he had hoped. The first view we get from Jacksons Guy Noir-ish St. Paul office building includes a frail-looking young woman with a limp, carrying a violin case. The woman quickly appears on Jacksons doorstep, begging him to accept the violin, 400 years old and worth at least $60,000, as security for her brothers bail bond. The young woman is then murdered outside Jacksons office building, and Jackson is plunged into solving the crime while fending off the cops on his trail and the urban gypsies trying to wrest the violin from him. Great action, coupled with fascinating bits of violin history, lore, and craftsmanship.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)