Synopses & Reviews
Tough, cynical, and clever, Nathan Heller has been called ?the perfect private eye, ? the best investigator that Chicago (where 'lightning' means gunfire) has to offer. In this engaging collection of thirteen stories, Heller encounters gangsters and petty crooks, noble doctors and quacks, loving wives and wanton women, and even the occasional honest cop. All of the stories are based on real cases of the 1930s and ?40s, meticulously researched by award-winning writer and Road to Perdition creator Max Allan Collins. Heller's adventures feature some of the biggest names in twentieth-century American crime history: Eliot Ness, Frank Nitti, Mickey Cohen, and Jack Ruby, just to name a few. Whether he is investigating a union shooting, going toe-to-toe with the female leader of a vicious hold-up crew, or playing a homeless man to pose as bait for an insurance racket, Heller's humorous, wryly cynical tone, and knack for keen social observation make for a cracking good read
Synopsis
With his cynical humor and knack for keen social observation, Chicago PI Nathan Heller narrates this engaging collection of 13 crime stories based on real cases from the 1930s and '40s.
Synopsis
Tough, cynical, and clever, Nathan Heller has been called "the perfect private eye," the best investigator that Chicago (where 'lightning' means gunfire) has to offer. Created by New York Times bestselling novelist and Road to Perdition creator Max Allan Collins, the classic P.I. comes vibrantly to life in this collection of thirteen stories, all based on real cases of the 1930s and '40s. In "The Blonde Tigress," Heller encounters a vicious hold-up crew with a brutal female leader, while in "Scrap" he investigates a union shooting that has national implications. In "The Perfect Crime" he goes Hollywood to protect the lovely Thelma Todd, with tragic results. The private eye finds himself tangling with notorious mobster Mickey Cohen in a "Shoot-out On Sunset" and with Al Capone's successor, Frank Nitti, in "Screwball." Heller's friendship with Eliot Ness finds the two men working together in both "The Strawberry Teardrop," in which Heller encounters America's first serial killer, and "Natural Death, Inc." Heller tackles each case with his trademark cynicism and humor, digging into the grimy underbelly of twentieth-century America to uncover the truth at any cost.
Synopsis
In ?The Blonde Tigress, ? Heller encounters a vicious hold-up crew with a brutal female leader, while in ?Scrap? he investigates a union shooting that has national implications. In ?The Perfect Crime? he goes Hollywood to protect the lovely Thelma Todd, with tragic results. The private eye finds himself tangling with notorious mobster Mickey Cohen in a ?Shoot-out On Sunset? and with Al Capone's successor, Frank Nitti, in ?Screwball.? Heller's friendship with Eliot Ness finds the two men working together in both ?The Strawberry Teardrop, ? in which Heller encounters America's first serial killer, and ?Natural Death, Inc.? Heller tackles each case with his trademark cynicism and humor, digging into the grimy underbelly of twentieth-century America to uncover the truth at any cost. Tough, cynical, and clever, Nathan Heller has been called ?the perfect private eye, ? the best investigator that Chicago (where ?lightning? means gunfire) has to offer