Library Journal
Not inclined to retire, 87-year-old Miami PI Harry Lipkin readily takes a case from Mrs. Weinberger, a local dowager who suspects a member of her staff of theft but doesn't know how to proceed. So she hires Harry to investigate. Slowly but methodically, Harry questions everyone from the chauffeur to the gardener, gleaning tidbits as he goes. And so goes the reader: to the boxing club, the racetrack, the dark streets of Miami, and the local hospital. Interviewing retired rabbis, business owners, and others gives Harry a flavor of his client's environment, but not necessarily any definitive clues. A meeting of all parties at the conclusion resolves the case. VERDICT Cleverly modeling his mystery on classic PI novels, Fantoni, a former Private Eye magazine writer and author of several detective novels published in the 1980s, fleshes out a slim semicozy sure to please fans of the genre, particularly those of a certain age. His protagonist's splendid first-person observations about south Florida folks make for a fun afternoon read.