Murder

Stanley Hastings is anything but the typical hard-boiled or brilliantly deductive detective. Throughout the book he compares what he does to what a 'real' private detective would have done. Yet it's his reflective nature that helps him inadvertantly stumble onto the solutions to crimes. And for me, that's the charm of this series. Having read negative reviews of the first Hastings novel, Detective, I decided to start here and I'm glad I did.

Stanley Hastings hates pain, is often scared and doesn't particularly want to be a real detective. Unfortunately, people in need of help keep drawing him into their problems. After carpool mom, Pamela Berringer, comes to him for his help to get out of a prostitution ring, Stanley finds that he can't turn her down. When her pimp is murdered, Stanley must prove to the police that he and his client is innocent. This is a clever mystery with a likable but reluctant hero. If you like to read a series in order, start with Detective.