Russian-American detective A. A. Valnikov is a burned-out homicide detective who gets teamed with Natalie Zimmerman, twice-divorced with a grudge against men. These unlikely partners are assigned the strange case of a stolen show dog being held for ransom. In this bittersweet tale that the Los Angeles Times called “terrifying and romantic,” the partners will find much more than they ever could … ever could have imagined. Cosmopolitan called it “fast, colorful and gripping . . . as touching as it is breathlessly entertaining.”
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The Black Marble
I am a fan of Wambagh from the old days, “Choirboy’s”, “Onion fields”, “Big Orange” etc. “The Black Marble” I must have missed. This is a reprint and I am glad of it. I read this on my kindle during lunch and I must say it is embarrassing. I sit alone with a nice glass of Rose…there are other people at tables around me and I suddenly breakout laughing, no, not just once but again in the rapid fire hilarity of the dialogue, I keep laughing and people are now staring at me. It is that kind of book, pure Wambaugh. The genre is police procedural. It is a killer read, especially if you are from LA.
The author shows skill in creating two memorable characters, both of whom undergo change as they join forces to solve crime.
Kept me reading well past “bed time”.
clever and entertaining. good read.
I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants.
Great read
Not my favorite Joseph Wambaugh book but still good. Took awhile to figure out what was going on.
Not his best but still great
Dated
A hoot!
Honestly I read this quite some time ago. I just remember that I loved it! Witty with funny characters. Think I need to read this again!
Love all his books.
I read a few of his books and they were “rough” and sensational. This is just awful. Way too esoteric – very hard to follow many of the bizarre terms. I am so sorry I wasted the money – This was the first book in a long time that I could not finish.
My favorite of his catalog.
I love Joseph Wambaugh’s books and this one is no different. Quirky characters, unusual plot twists and a look inside the world of competitive dog shows makes this a hard-to-put down read. I highly recommend this book.
Another classic by Wambaugh
Classic Wambaugh; ’nuff said.
Good police read.
Not Wambaugh at his best. A novella, padded.
Not J. Wambaugh’s best, but it’s quick and easy to read.