Bottom line -- Don't go out of your way to read this book but at the same time, don't let it put you off from later books in the series, some of which are great reads.


Read these in order!   January 16, 2001
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

One does a disservice to an author/series if one reads book #3 or #4 or #5 and then goes back to read #1. Characters develop, relationships develop, and authors develop. I read this first Carlotta Carlyle book before I read the rest, and enjoyed it just fine. Yes, the following books get better as they go along, but you'll have missed out on several important relationship/character points if you don't read this one before you read the others.


Totally Satisfying   July 15, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

If this book were a film, it would definitely be noir. I imagined everything in black and white throughout my quick gallop through these wonderful pages.

Having never read a Linda Barnes mystery before, I was enthralled by the gritty language, the down-and-dirty description of the Boston streets, the no-nonsense tone, and above all, the main character, PI Carlotta Carlyle.

Written in the mid 80s, this book is not outdated in the least. The plot concerns a group of Irish-American cabbies, all over 50, who may be running money and guns for the now-severly-restricted IRA. Accidentally stumbling into their activities while investigating a missing persons case, Carlotta finds herself in very deep trouble--the kind that can easily end in murder.

This is a perfect book to devour one lazy afternoon while shutting the rest of the world out. I loved it, and intend to sample more Linda Barnes mysteries from now on.


Meanwhile, Back in Boston ...   October 16, 2001
 7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Author Linda Barnes wrote this first Carlotta Carlyle, Boston based female P.I. mystery, in 1987. It's a good start, which vaguely reminds me of the movie "Going In Style," where the old guys revert to bank robbery. Wait till you read where she stashes the cash!


Good Female P. I. Book   July 11, 2000
 4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is the first book in the Carlotta Carlyle series. It is in the same tradition as other female P. I. series such as Sue Grafton. Carlotta is single and moonlights by driving a cab. In this book you will also be introduced to her somewhat wacky roommate and her mob connected boyfriend as well as her "little sister", Paolina. Carlotta is very independent and after all is said and done, seems to want to do the best thing for people. In this book she is hired by an elderly lady to find her missing brother who turns out to be involved with the IRA. There are other twists and the ending came as a surprise to me. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to others; especially to those who like "hard boiled" type mysteries with a female protagonist.