Suicide King: A Jake Samson Mystery

Political pundits will relish the fifth fast-paced whodunit featuring unlicensed Oakland, Calif., private investigator Jake Samson and his sidekick and tenant, professional carpenter Rosie Vincente. Though Jake maintains a cynical view of politics, he accompanies Rosie to a speech by gubernatorial candidate Joe Richmond, who is vying for the fledgling Vivo party nomination. Impressed with the aspirant's rhetoric and charisma, Jake later attends a benefit for him, where he meets Richmond and one of his aides, Pam Sutherland. The next day Pam discovers her boss hanging naked from a tree in her backyard. Convinced that Richmond was a murder victim, not a suicide as the police suggest, she hires Jake to find the culprit. Singer ( Spit in the Ocean ) depicts campaign shenanigans and backroom wheeling and dealing, while Jake, caught in a dangerous game of political intrigue, delivers another solid performance. (Nov.)