Harriet Klausner's Review Archive

That night Cliff fails to tell the police about the assault or his use of force, planning to call his lawyer in the morning. Willy Hanson and his girl friend Ginny sail to the New Jersey burbs to visit their long time friend Cliff. Willy and Ginny arrive to find a very nervous Cliff, who does not act like the casualty of a burglary. This raises the curiosity of Willy, an amateur detective, who quickly realizes that the burbs are not the tranquil place they're supposed to be. Cliff's story fails to hold up and Willy's trail of Heavy takes him into a world of drug trafficking run by the mob.

The latest entry in the Willy Hanson series is a good mystery thanks entirely to Willy and Ginny, who are fascinating characters that show much courage in venturing into the unknown burbs (think the Tom Hanks pre-academy awards movie of a few years ago). However, the story line is convoluted, forcing most readers except the die-hard Hanson fans to pass on this work. For those who want to read Ralph Arnote's Willy Hanson in a fabulous who-done-it, this reviewer suggests you try any of his previous four tales since they are all superior novels. Harriet Klausner