DEAD AIM
(writing as Wendell McCall) "Sardonic, wry, and remarkable in both plotting and pacing, particularly for a first-time author..." —Kirkus Reviews  READ MORE PRAISE
Even rural Idaho has its mean streets... Ex-musician Chris Klick is no slouch. And no sleuth. He prefers to sit on the porch of an Idaho cabin and be one with nature, but groceries and some of life’s finer things have to be bought with cash. When a chance to earn a fee by restoring missing royalties to other musicians comes along, he levers up his six foot four frame and has at it. So what’s he to do when a beautiful woman with a mystery comes calling? When Nicole Russell invades his privacy and presents her story of a missing husband and a mislaid $50,000, Klick jumps right in with his missing person skills. He’s got to ask why, if the husband did a bunk, he took along Nicole’s Labrador retriever? Luckily, for backup Klick’s got an even taller friend, the former basketball star Lyel. Lyel, although independently wealthy, is independent as hell and still a player who loves a challenge. Ridding nearby Snow Lake of its tangle of corruption while helping Nicole recover her money seems like sport. Unfortunately, the other side is playing for high—and deadly—stakes.... First published in 1988, Dead Aim was right on target with Kirkus Reviews: "A beautifully handled debut novel that balances all the best P.I. elements with a lyrical sense of the country... Sardonic, wry, and remarkable in both plotting and pacing."
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Praise for Dead Aim… "A beautifully handled debut novel that balances all the best p.i. elements (the essentially alone hero, his requisite personal code, his "Watsons," and his sudden deep, though abruptly terminated romantic involvement) with a lyrical sense of the country here, mallards, mergansers, and Idaho mountain air. " —Kirkus Reviews "McCall demonstrates a wide range of abilities in this engaging debut novel. He choreographs brutal fight scenes with credibility, communicates an appreciation for and detailed knowledge of rural Idaho landscapes, and handles human relationships with sensitivity." —Publishers Weekly "Dead Aim is right on target. This debut novel marks the introduction of a skillful writer, Wendell McCall, and his masterful creation, amateur sleuth Chris Klick." —Cinncinati Enquirer  |
                                  
  
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