No Hearts, No Roses

Product Description Introducing laid back amateur sleuth Tony Gerard in this gripping new historical mystery series - Ten years after the end of World War II, Tony Gerard, amateur P.I., lives a peaceful life. That is until a routine call from the glamorous Beverly Beaumont, asking Gerard to investigate the disappearance of her brother, ends in the discovery of a body and a face from the past. A face from Paris, 1945. From Publishers Weekly Set in 1955, this complex but satisfying series debut from British author Murray (After a Dead Dog) introduces Tony Gérard, a London "producer's assistant" trained as an accountant who soon finds himself in the role of tough guy sleuth. On retainer to Les Jackson's Hoxton Films, Gérard must locate Jonathan Harrison, film star Beverley Beaumont's missing brother. The quest for Harrison leads Gérard, who served in France as a special ops soldier during WWII, into a deadly world of bodies, drugs, and diamond smuggling. A dangerous complication arrives in the form of Ghislaine Rieux, the beautiful wife of a former French comrade of Gérard's, the "frighteningly ruthless" Robert Rieux, who's sure to follow. Murray's 1950s England, with men hardened by war and willing to take long chances, is the perfect milieu for the unflappable Gérard, who manages to keep himself in play, despite threats, beatings, and occasional gunfire. (June) Review Fans of the offbeat will doubtless enjoy this quirky, engaging, Chandleresque detective story set in 1950s London. Tony Gérard has never quite settled down to civilian life after returning from WWII. He mostly does odd jobs for Les Jackson, head of Hoxton Films. So when Les asks Tony to help find attractive starlet Beverly Beaumont's missing brother, Jon, Tony agrees. But from the minute he starts searching, he realizes there's something odd about the case. For one thing, when he manages to find Jon, the kid hands him a package for Beverly--a package of diamonds. Then, when a beautiful Frenchwoman whom Tony knows from the war turns up in the investigation, along with her husband, a man with dubious, possibly criminal, connections, Tony realizes the Beaumont case may be a lot more complex than he thought. Car chases, a mysterious Cambridge don, a gang of European thugs, and a climactic shoot-out keep the action hot and heavy. The likably lackadaisical hero (Tony is surprised when he solves the case) and the vividly rendered '50s setting make this an engaging and unusual read. --Booklist, June 1, 2011