Russian Roulette (Dev Haskell - Private Investigator, Book 1)

Remember Donny and Marie? "I'm a little bit country… I'm a little bit rock 'n' roll…?" Devlin Haskell, PI, is a little bit 30s noir detective and a little bit 21st century screwup. Modern noir sometimes uses throwback technology to set the scene. Mike Faricy gives Dev Haskell all the modern gadgets, but sets the mood with sharp language.RUSSIAN ROULETTE is a well written mystery/thriller that includes the private eye and his cop buddy, interfering Feds, booze, and women. Yes, let us not forget the women.I'm not one to give away the farm while reviewing. If you want that, read the blurb. Faricy sets the stage for the books to come without actually giving away too much about Devlin. It is suggested in the blurb that followers of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this book. Ms. Plum has several traits that follow her through the books. I am reserving judgement on this until I have read more books in this series because the one thing that stands out about Stephanie (in my mind anyway) does happen to Dev.I confess to having put off reading this series (17 books and counting) for far too long. My excuse? So many books, so little time! I see this first book in the series as the start of an ongoing, beautiful relationship. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series: MR SWIRLEE.

I have read the other books in the Dev Haskell series and I can say that not only did I enjoy them, but I didn't feel lost by reading out of order.So this is the very first Dev Haskell book and let me say Dev still finds himself in with the wrong crowd....women and booze are his downfall. I love how being a P.I. he does things his own way, he doesn't listen to those with a badge.He gets a case of a missing person though what he uncovers is something way more deeper than someone missing. It seems that bodies will start piling up and Dev will find himself in the crossfire. Is the Russian Mob actually involved? Well the FBI believes so and with the help of Dev they plan to put an end to their ways.There are parts that will have you just shake your head and laugh, while other parts you ask yourself why did he put himself in that situation.Overall Dev is a good P.I. and stops at nothing to get the answers to the cases he takes on. If you like humor in your P.I. stories check out this series.

As most of my Kindle library is comprised of free downloads from Amazon, it's eclectic, at best. I prefer soft murder mysteries over bodice rippers, but cosy murder mysteries are sophomoric, and hard boiled action thrillers are usually too violent for my taste. Finding someone edgier than Miss Marple, is a challenge.Delightfully flawed PI and slovenly boozer, Dev Haskill is an interesting protagonist, and the Mike Faricy series is well written. Faricy is a strong writer and takes care of the reader. A la Ray Chandler, Faricy's characters make bad decisions early, and their consequences inform the story. I didn't realize I had several of Faricy's books already on my Kindle, so as soon as I read one, I galloped onto the next one. Makes it hard to review just one book.Dev Haskill singlehandedly holds up the corner of the bar with cases of jack Daniel's and Jamison's at a dive called The Spot in St. Paul, when he's not working (and when he's working too); he uses the watering hole as his office. Moe's Diner is his recovery room and office away from home. Dev is hired by a French girl named Kerri to find her sister Nikki. He doesn't have much to go on, a photo of the missing girl with two men—who turned up dead.Despite being up to his eyeballs in bad decisions, Dev's investigations lead him into the sinister underworld of a Russian Mafia white slavery ring, and a passel of Russians want him silenced. And the St. Paul police force would like to bag him, and pin some felonies on him too. When he runs afoul of a FBI sting, his only buffer is his childhood friend on the force, vice cop Aaron LaZelle, and an alcoholic public defender, about to be debarred. But there's only so much they can do to keep Dev out of trouble. Dev has to save himself by solving the crime with the help of Heidi, his bail bondswoman and sometimes squeeze, and Sunnie, a computer whiz.This action-driven thriller will keep you turning the pages. Well worth your time to invest in this series. Before you read Russian Roulette, you might want to download a short (back)story, prequel, Twinkle Toes. Up next are Mr. Swirlee (Mr. Softee), Bite Me, Bombshell, Tutti-Frutti,, and Last Shot. Watch for them. They're stand-alones and can be read in almost any order. There are eleven books so far in the series, Faricy is a prolific writer.

This is an enjoyable if ultimately forgettable read. If you're into the PI genre, this is a safe bet. The plot is light, the characters are hollow and everything is a bit too goofy for my taste, but the author does manage to get the "usual" formula right for the most part. The problem is that there is not a single original thing here. Dev, the main character is the usual PI with no money, that drinks a lot and loves the ladies. He gets a job, that seems harmless at first, things get complicated, as always, and instead of walking away, out of a sense of... well because the plot demands it really, Dev keeps digging and getting into lots of dangerous situations to uncover the truth.Unfortunately Dev is no Marlowe. He has zero development and almost no personality besides being a drunk loser who gets himself in trouble. His whole character is built for laughs, almost to the point of absurdity. He is completely inept, not very bright and a total wreck even in his personal life.Now, this type of story is very often light. But this book seems to take it a bit too far. There's no weight to the plot, nothing feels the least credible and worst of all, even the supposed "comedy" many times falls flat.The book does have a decent pace, some amusing moments and is somewhat of a love letter to the genre. I never got the vibe that this was satire or a parody or spoof. No the author is obviously a fan of this genre and you have to appreciate the effort. The book just needed a bit more seriousness, not much, just a bit to make me care about Dev or his adventures. As it was, it was a bit too childish to make a mark.