Vengeance: A Lew Fonesca Mystery

I read this series and enjoyed each book. Kaminsky introduces us to Lew Fonesca, a process server recently located to Sarasota (FL) from Chicago. He has an assortment of supporting characters Flo, Sally, Ames, Harvey and an elderly shrink named Dr Ann Horowicz. The books do not have to be read in order, (I read book 3 before I read book 2) each will stand alone, but to appreciated the character development it is better to read them in sequence.

As I write this, there are now four novels featuring Lew Fonseca, professional process server and people finder. Lew left Chicago after his wife died and ended up down in Sarasota, on the seedy side of town, depressed and aimless. The series reveals, via Lew's acquisition of friends, clients, enemies and casual acqaintences, his return to a meaningful life. He finds a way to make his expenses, a woman to date, an affordable shrink, and a means of combatting his depression and grief. He takes cases that turn into murder mysteries and he triumphs over evil. I like this fella quite a bit. I have now read the first three novels in the series and will start the fourth, "Denial", in a day or two. If you like author Kaminsky's other series, or you enjoy Robert B. Parker or Lawrence Block, you should get a kick out of Lew Fonesca and his world.

and it is difficult not to like him.I'm a fan of Kaminsky's Abe Lieberman series, but I like Lew even better. Picture someone in midlife who drifts to Florida when his wife dies; and puts together a very simplistic lifestyle in one of Florida's wealthiest communities. You get a great look at Sarasota from the back of a Dairy Queen! You get a hero with a real sense of humor and a knack with people who is masquerading as a process server. You get a strong set of supporting characters, particularly in Flo, Sally, Ames and the fascinating Harvey, a computer research maven and Dr. Ann Horowitz, Lew's elderly psychiatrist. In "Vengeance", the first time we get together with Lew (a Stanley Tucci lookalike), Kaminsky has woven together two different mysteries, one of which is exceedingly difficult to figure out. The characters are more carefully drawn and the romance is soft and believable. Fonesca is someone could very probably have met in your own lifetime, and his unassuming habits and thoughts are in sharp contrast to his quick wit and humor... A tidbit..."I'm gay, Mr. Fonesca. I told you." "Why do they call it gay? Most of the homosexuals I've known are smiling on the outside and depressed on the inside", I said. "Like you?" "There is a distinct similarity", I said, sinking back into the chair.A great and breezy read; makes you want Kaminsky to keep returning to Lew in the future!

A very good story with a multitude of interesting characters. I am already impatiently waiting for the next Lewis Fonesca novel.

Three years six months and five days ago, Lew Fonesca's beloved spouse died when some unknown driver sideswiped her car, sending her crashing into a wall. Distraught, Lew immediately left Chicago to escape the memories. When his vehicle broke down in Sarasota, Florida, Lew decided to stay. He soon began working for a couple of attorneys, discreetly handling their investigative needs even though he has no license to practice professional sleuthing. Real estate giant Carl Sebastian hires Lew's services to find his missing wife Melanie. Carl wants to only talk to her to see if he can persuade her to return home. However, the simple case turns complex when someone tails Lew and his clues seem to lead him to taking backwards steps. At the same time, Lew cannot refuse Beryl Tree's retainer to find her missing teen in danger from an abusive father and a nasty individual who bought the girl. Perhaps it is time to declare award winning Stuart Kaminsky as the reigning monarch of excellent detective series with such notables as Inspector Rostnikov, Toby Peters, and Abe Lieberman. His newest player Lew Fonesca may be the best of the lot. Lovable Lew is still mourning his loss while counting every second away from his beloved. Yet, he cannot stop himself from helping the oppressed. VENGEANCE consists of two obvious story lines that Mr. Kaminsky's writing abilities turn into excellent tales along with Lew, a feat that makes this novel worth reading.Harriet Klausner