Those mystery elements, though, often take a backseat to Kit’s sunny social life, his zeal to “light a blaze in the firepit and sit outside around the pool,” as he plans a future with his dream girl, Jacquie, and parties with amusing, sharply drawn family and friends. Occasional tangles with bumbling villains are over quickly, and Kit’s chatty narration touches on everything from how his parents met to the precise length of his phone cord. Readers looking for traditional suspense should understand that O’Brien has written an inviting hang-out novel, alive with chatter and “sun, wind, and beer.” Liam O’Brien’s darkly atmospheric illustrations appear at the end of some chapters, adding a sense of tension and drama at odds with Kit’s eternally optimistic mood.

The author brings real-life private eye experience to his writing, while frequent nods to classic TV detectives, along with throwback machismo and tough-guy banter, suggest a nostalgic love for the genre is his bigger inspiration. While ultimately too neat and laid-back to generate much in the way of suspense, readers who like their detectives less hard-boiled and more sunny-side-up will enjoy this easy-breezy, low-stakes adventure.

Takeaway: Fun 1970s L.A. crime adventure with a winning hangout vibe.

Comparable Titles: Timothy Hallinan’s Junior Bender series, Thomas McGuane’s Ninety-two in the Shade.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: B+
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A-