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

This is 16 book series, a series that makes you think what ever can happen to Dev next, if you can read any one of the books without thinking what a pratt Dev is, and if you can't do it without a smile on your face then don't bother reading any more, best read in order to keep up with Dev's going on's, the beat ups the shady moves, the Ladies, and the drinking, the crap cars that he has, and the brushes with the law. Well worth the read's look out for the box sets if you continue to read on, if you do you will not be in the least disapointed. if you like the Author's writing, and i can't beleive that you will not, try another series written under Nick James(the same author) the corridor man, and laugh and think whatever next, if you want serious books don't bother, but if you want head shaking and a bit of laughter thrown in read on ,you will not be dissapointed.

I didn't get the feeling that Farici is ever going to find a place among my favourite authors, but the book was entertaining enough. It begins with a very determined homage to Raymond Chandler and, although Dev Haskell is no Philip Marlowe, Philip Marlow usually wasn't Philip Marlow, either. The story keeps you reading and it keeps you entertained, and that's worth three stars any day.

Having read, and really not liking, later books in this series, I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy this, the first. This is a quite straight forward private eye, cops, FBI and robbers (well not really robbers human traffickers forced prostitution - Russian mobsters) all told at a breathtaking speed. Our hero is virtually indestructible, his visits to hospital being legion ( thank goodness for Obama care? ) Simplistic view of FBI career diplomats versus right on down honest cops aided by our reluctant hero makes a jolly good read. I was a little disappointed when it ground to a halt at sixty something %, but nothing is perfect.

PI Dev Haskell might just as well put a pistol to his own head when he gets hired to find 'Kerry's' missing sister. Kerry is not what she seems and neither is the sister as Dev finds out in this frantically paced crime novel.Never in the field of crime fiction has one man been dumped on by so many. Dysfunctional Dev is shot at, beaten and blown up in the course of his investigation as the bad guys turn out to be Russian mobsters and some of the good guys self-serving Feds. But Dev isn't entirely alone as friends in the police and on-off girlfriend Heidi are around to patch him up and kiss his wounds. One cracker of a story.As per, I do have an odd gripe which takes the edge of what should be a 5-star tale. The most serious of the minor faults being that one or two of the threads are not tied off at the end.I've read three Dev Haskell adventures now and I'm still no nearer getting under the man's skin. We don't know what he looks like, there is never a description and he has no background. We don't know how he ended up becoming a PI or how he earns a living as most of his cases end up as duds and he drinks away the profits of those that do pay. Dev's an engaging character but he has no substance. Maybe that's part of the joke but I for one would like to know more. Or is it enough to know that he's feckless and attracts and repels women in equal measure while keeping the Spot Bar in business?C'mon, Mike, help me out here. I'm aching to press the button on that final star.Nontheless an excellent, humourous and fast-paced thriller from a writer who is making a name for himself in crime literature.

This was a good start to a series that seems interesting. There was a solid plot with great characters.Occasionally I found it a bit hard to follow but for the most part this was an easy enough to follow read. The characters were interesting and there was some humour laced through this.All in all good.

If you like a gripping tale with a shot of humour then Russian Roulette may be the book for you. Dev Haskell is hired by Kerri to find her missing sister, Nikki, except Kerri seems to be an international woman of mystery, Nikki has vanished and the more Dev digs the more trouble he meets. I found this an easy book to read - it is told in the first person with Dev having a humourous, self deprecating take on life and a plot that kept me turning the pages. I felt it got a bit repetitive in the middle but all (except why Dev was targeted) was neatly tied up at the end.

I love Dev. This is kind of written a bit like a 50s Private Dick novel - you know the "she came into the room with curves so dangerous it...." you get the idea. Tongue in cheek, easy read, entertaining, falls into situations more by bumbling around than by being good as his job. Without wishing to spoil it - loved the bit where he was in hospital, laid on his face, with his injured rear end sticking up in the air. On to the next one!

Fairly standard setup, lone private eye with a friend in the police, works out of a bar, kicked out by various attractive women. He is enlisted into finding a missing girl, gets mixed up in a big operation involving Russian people traffickers and events move very fast. Really enjoyed the characters, the cynical asides and the non-stop actIon.