THE CRIMINALIST by Eugene Izzi

When I was just out of college and money was tighter than a Democratic primary, there were three authors I would actually pay to read. Waiting for their books to come to the library was a torture I was unwilling to endure. They were Robert B. Parker, Loren D. Estleman and Eugene Izzi. Izzi was a tough guy novelist who did for Chicago what Estleman did for Detroit and Parker for Boston. He never had the humor of Parker nor the mannered style of Estleman, but wow could he tell a story. I’m recommending THE CRIMINALIST, the last and best book by the unfortunate author. Unfortunate because after it was written, Izzi was found hanging by a rope outside his office window. It was listed as a suicide but he was found clad in a bullet proof vest with bruises on his face. There were rumors Izzi had written a book about police corruption that was a little too close to the facts, and that a police hit squad had killed him and made it look like a suicide. Anyway, that’s another mystery for another blog. THE CRIMINALIST is raw, full of testosterone and grim like all of Izzi’s novels, with a very intricate, yet totally believable plot. He is at the top of his game in this novel. I would recommend all of Izzi’s books, but if your want to start with the best, go with the last.