Bloof Sympathy

Reginald Hill introduces a new series and a winning new character in Joe Sixsmith, a black, balding, middle-aged, laid-off lathe operator who has used his severance pay to set up shop as a private investigator. Is the industrial English town of Luton ready for a private eye who isn't a martial arts expert, doesn't like guns, and would rather use an abacus than a calculator? Joe thinks it is - even though his match-making Aunt Mirabelle and disdainful cat Whitey think he's crazy. Joe may be sane, but his clients don't appear to be. One seems to be confessing to the brutal murder of his entire family, another thinks she's found a witch, and two more manage to involve Joe in a smuggling mix-up. An apparent bumbler, Joe nevertheless has a real gift for his chosen line of work. With goodness, mercy, and a whole lot of serendipity, Joe proves to be a shining exception to the old cynic's rule that nice guys finish last.