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Lew Fonesca #4
Denial
Lew Fonesca is a man who does things for people. He makes small problems go away and tries to keep the larger ones from landing his clients in jail. He finds deadbeats, errant spouses, and generally keeps the populace of Sarasota on the up and up.
Now Lew is faced with one case that will try his patience...and another that may break his heart.
The first involves an elderly woman who swears she's witnessed a murder in her old age home despite the fact that everyone she tells her story her family, the hospital staff, and finally the cops all tell her that it just couldn't have happened.
The other has Lew trying to find out the identity of a hit and run driver who killed a 14 year old boy. This task dredges up old memories and a lot of pain, for Lew fled Chicago years ago, after a drunk driver killed his beloved wife.
As Lew begins to dig deeper into both cases he finds that they are tied together in ways he can't hope to untangle.
And when someone tries to run him down, Lew knows that he's getting close to some nasty home truths and he is going to have get the answers if he is to survive.
Now Lew is faced with one case that will try his patience...and another that may break his heart.
The first involves an elderly woman who swears she's witnessed a murder in her old age home despite the fact that everyone she tells her story her family, the hospital staff, and finally the cops all tell her that it just couldn't have happened.
The other has Lew trying to find out the identity of a hit and run driver who killed a 14 year old boy. This task dredges up old memories and a lot of pain, for Lew fled Chicago years ago, after a drunk driver killed his beloved wife.
As Lew begins to dig deeper into both cases he finds that they are tied together in ways he can't hope to untangle.
And when someone tries to run him down, Lew knows that he's getting close to some nasty home truths and he is going to have get the answers if he is to survive.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
About the author
Stuart M. Kaminsky
164 books221 followersStuart M. Kaminsky wrote 50 published novels, 5 biographies, 4 textbooks and 35 short stories. He also has screenwriting credits on four produced films including ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, ENEMY TERRITORY, A WOMAN IN THE WIND and HIDDEN FEARS. He was a past president of the Mystery Writers of America and was nominated for six prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Awards including one for his short story “Snow” in 1999. He won an Edgar for his novel A COLD RED SUNRISE, which was also awarded the Prix De Roman D’Aventure of France. He was nominated for both a Shamus Award and a McCavity Readers Choice Award.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
Kaminsky wrote several popular series including those featuring Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. He also wrote two original "Rockford Files " novels. He was the 50th annual recipient of the Grandmaster 2006 for Lifetime Achievement from the Mystery Writers of America.
Received the Shamus Award, "The Eye" (Lifetime achievement award) in 2007.
His nonfiction books including BASIC FILMMAKING, WRITING FOR TELEVISION, AMERICAN FILM GENRES, and biographies of GARY COOPER, CLINT EASTWOOD, JOHN HUSTON and DON SIEGEL. BEHIND THE MYSTERY was published by Hot House Press in 2005 and nominated by Mystery Writers of America for Best Critical/Biographical book in 2006.
Kaminsky held a B.S. in Journalism and an M.A. in English from The University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in Speech from Northwestern University where he taught for 16 years before becoming a Professor at Florida State. where he headed the Graduate Conservatory in Film and Television Production. He left Florida State in 1994 to pursue full-time writing.
Kaminsky and his wife, Enid Perll, moved to St. Louis, Missouri in March 2009 to await a liver transplant to treat the hepatitis he contracted as an army medic in the late 1950s in France. He suffered a stroke two days after their arrival in St. Louis, which made him ineligible for a transplant. He died on October 9, 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 19, 2022
Stuart Kaminsky's Lew Fonesca character is like the anti-Robert Crais' Elvis Cole: perpetually depressed, humorless, physically unimposing, no certifications, residing in a dumpy spot in Florida. What he does have, though, is a talent for finding and helping people using unconventional means and he exploits that talent in the 4th episode in the series, "Denial".
Fonesca's challenges often come in pairs. Denial has Lew taking on the story of a sharp-minded old lady in a nursing home who insists a fellow resident has been murdered, despite all evidence to the contrary. He's also pulled into the death-by-vehicle of a 14 year old kid who was run down on a Sarasota street. See, Fonesca doesn't advertise, isn't certified to do anything other than his real 'job' of serving paper for local attorneys, but word gets around about his prowess and he just can't say no. Both cases are tricky to the nth degree, mainly due to the lack of interest by the local police. The nursing home problem is baffling since there's absolutely nothing to support the woman's assertion that a murder took place. The vehicular homicide case has the additional complication of dredging up memories of Fonesca's late wife who also perished in similar fashion. Lew enlists his informal army of muscle (an old guy neighbor who's handy with guns) and brains (computer whiz who works for the law group Lew delivers legal documents for....) and, despite threats and near misses, brings both issues to a close.
Kaminsky's a fine writer and Fonesca is a low-key but interesting character who could probably be way more effective if he could get rid of the depression that's on his back like he's trying to carry a piano. The rest of the ensemble cast is really what makes the series move forward. His buddy with the guns, computer whizzes, neighborhood business people, folks he's helped in the past, the detective who has a love/hate relationship with him, and his psychologist, have all been developed over the course of the series and contribute mightily to each installment. Thank heavens for that- Lew by himself is just a bit too much of a downer.
Fonesca's challenges often come in pairs. Denial has Lew taking on the story of a sharp-minded old lady in a nursing home who insists a fellow resident has been murdered, despite all evidence to the contrary. He's also pulled into the death-by-vehicle of a 14 year old kid who was run down on a Sarasota street. See, Fonesca doesn't advertise, isn't certified to do anything other than his real 'job' of serving paper for local attorneys, but word gets around about his prowess and he just can't say no. Both cases are tricky to the nth degree, mainly due to the lack of interest by the local police. The nursing home problem is baffling since there's absolutely nothing to support the woman's assertion that a murder took place. The vehicular homicide case has the additional complication of dredging up memories of Fonesca's late wife who also perished in similar fashion. Lew enlists his informal army of muscle (an old guy neighbor who's handy with guns) and brains (computer whiz who works for the law group Lew delivers legal documents for....) and, despite threats and near misses, brings both issues to a close.
Kaminsky's a fine writer and Fonesca is a low-key but interesting character who could probably be way more effective if he could get rid of the depression that's on his back like he's trying to carry a piano. The rest of the ensemble cast is really what makes the series move forward. His buddy with the guns, computer whizzes, neighborhood business people, folks he's helped in the past, the detective who has a love/hate relationship with him, and his psychologist, have all been developed over the course of the series and contribute mightily to each installment. Thank heavens for that- Lew by himself is just a bit too much of a downer.
May 20, 2008
Lew Fonesca has a lot on his plate these days, and he doesn’t want any of it. Still grieving from the death of his wife four years earlier, he’s learned to survive by pretty much leaving the world alone, and wishing the world would do the same to him. Still, he has to earn money for food and the two rooms he rents behind the Dairy Queen.
Lou’s a process server who’s good at finding people. In fact, he’s developing a bit of a reputation, so it’s no surprise when an actress asks him to find the driver who ran down and killed her fourteen-year-old son. The same week, a senior in a retirement home asks him to find out who was murdered down the hall from her. There isn’t a body and all residents are accounted for, so no one believes her. But Dorothy knows what she saw, and she wants Lew to prove it.
Stuart M. Kaminsky’s DENIAL is a sad, elegantly told story about learning to live with loss. It’s also about the quest for closure and, for a lucky few, maybe even redemption. Despite Lew’s depressed, lethargic nature, I liked this character a lot. He tries to do the right thing, doesn’t have a temper or violent streak, and doesn’t wish harm on the world, except perhaps the driver who killed his wife. But since he doesn’t know who this person is, he thinks about it as little as possible.
This interesting story offers well-drawn characters, perfect pacing, and a great blend of dialogue and narrative description. What I loved most about this book, though, is Kaminsky’s simple, exquisite style. Absolutely terrific.
Lou’s a process server who’s good at finding people. In fact, he’s developing a bit of a reputation, so it’s no surprise when an actress asks him to find the driver who ran down and killed her fourteen-year-old son. The same week, a senior in a retirement home asks him to find out who was murdered down the hall from her. There isn’t a body and all residents are accounted for, so no one believes her. But Dorothy knows what she saw, and she wants Lew to prove it.
Stuart M. Kaminsky’s DENIAL is a sad, elegantly told story about learning to live with loss. It’s also about the quest for closure and, for a lucky few, maybe even redemption. Despite Lew’s depressed, lethargic nature, I liked this character a lot. He tries to do the right thing, doesn’t have a temper or violent streak, and doesn’t wish harm on the world, except perhaps the driver who killed his wife. But since he doesn’t know who this person is, he thinks about it as little as possible.
This interesting story offers well-drawn characters, perfect pacing, and a great blend of dialogue and narrative description. What I loved most about this book, though, is Kaminsky’s simple, exquisite style. Absolutely terrific.
February 24, 2024
I read a book with the character Lew Fonesca that was interesting because it was different. This is the second book with that character. The character is boring. There are other characters that are unusual, but boring. There is no character development. Just some odd, but boring characters. But the books can be entertaining. Just not the best mysteries I have read.
August 16, 2018
Fonesca is tried and true and will care about people in trouble until he gets to the solution for them, and for him--except about his own personal tragedy. I think I'm going to stop after 3 books, I love him, but he casts a long shadow--realistic, yes, but painful, yes, too.
January 31, 2022
Just no weakness here, a first class murder mystery.
September 22, 2025
Esta terá sido a última série a ser escrita pelo autor, é contemporânea e adoro-a, que pena estar quase a acabar.
August 13, 2010
Denial A Lew Fonesca Novel
by Stuart M. Kaminsky
Book Review by Jay Gilbertson
Sometimes a good book is a lot like a delicious treat, you have a bite and before you know what happened—poof—you’re reading the last sentence.
“Denial” is just such a story, short on fancy details, no clever writing technique to get in the way of a good old-fashioned mystery. This is the kind of novel you can zip through in an afternoon and by the end, have the satisfaction of knowing that this particular series goes on, and on. “Denial” is the fourth in the Lew Fonesca series, but I liked the fact that I didn’t have to have read the first three in order to know what was going on—I hit the first page and was hooked!
Meet Lew Fonsesca, (every new character Lew encounters mispronounces his last name, what is Kaminsky trying to tell us?) a two-dimensional hero/mystery-solver who lives in the back of a sordid, two-story office building in downtown Sarasota, Florida. Lew lost his beloved wife to an unsolved hit-and-run accident a few years back and was trying his best to hide from what was left of his life. Right—yet at every turn—there’s not a person he meets he’s not on a first name basis with. He makes a meager living as a process server, but his real talent is in solving the various murder mysteries that literally walk in his office door.
Kaminsky has created a Columbo-like character in that Lew more or less stumbles into, through and then out of several delectably devious murders—one of which happens to be a hit-and-run. This, in a rather obvious plot-trick-hook ‘modus operandi’ moves Lew into the mind-set that he too must now, after years of mourning, find his deceased wife’s killer. This, of course, will allow Lew to move forward in life and even, God forbid, find a new love. This kind of hook-planting stuff can drive a reader crazy, but Kaminsky does it with careful a-plumb.
Can we say, “I wonder what the next book will be about?” Hmmm, find the wife’s killer, put him/her in the slammer and open an honest to goodness detective agency? There’s gotta be a movie in there somewhere.
A favorite character who lends some psychoanalytical mind fixing into the depressed ‘Life-of-Lew’ is eighty-year-old retired psychiatrist Ann Horowitz. She either calls his cell-phone, leaving brilliantly worded messages full of wisdom or raps on his office door bearing just the right bit of mind-magic as well as a hot cup of brew. Her ‘reality check’ in the form of excellently delivered dialog is alone worth the read. I think we could all use a hit of Horowitz’s mind-fixing now and again.
The snappy writing rhythm and surprisingly bleak dialog was pitch-perfect. It created a haunting, lonely quality that surrounds Lew like a gray cloud, drawing the reader into this carefully crafted world and yet managed to keep me wondering what could possibly happen next? The endless coincidences and clichés galore all flowed together into a fast-paced read just right for our long winters and padded with enough loose story lines for Kaminsky to write a pile more. I say, “Write on!”
by Stuart M. Kaminsky
Book Review by Jay Gilbertson
Sometimes a good book is a lot like a delicious treat, you have a bite and before you know what happened—poof—you’re reading the last sentence.
“Denial” is just such a story, short on fancy details, no clever writing technique to get in the way of a good old-fashioned mystery. This is the kind of novel you can zip through in an afternoon and by the end, have the satisfaction of knowing that this particular series goes on, and on. “Denial” is the fourth in the Lew Fonesca series, but I liked the fact that I didn’t have to have read the first three in order to know what was going on—I hit the first page and was hooked!
Meet Lew Fonsesca, (every new character Lew encounters mispronounces his last name, what is Kaminsky trying to tell us?) a two-dimensional hero/mystery-solver who lives in the back of a sordid, two-story office building in downtown Sarasota, Florida. Lew lost his beloved wife to an unsolved hit-and-run accident a few years back and was trying his best to hide from what was left of his life. Right—yet at every turn—there’s not a person he meets he’s not on a first name basis with. He makes a meager living as a process server, but his real talent is in solving the various murder mysteries that literally walk in his office door.
Kaminsky has created a Columbo-like character in that Lew more or less stumbles into, through and then out of several delectably devious murders—one of which happens to be a hit-and-run. This, in a rather obvious plot-trick-hook ‘modus operandi’ moves Lew into the mind-set that he too must now, after years of mourning, find his deceased wife’s killer. This, of course, will allow Lew to move forward in life and even, God forbid, find a new love. This kind of hook-planting stuff can drive a reader crazy, but Kaminsky does it with careful a-plumb.
Can we say, “I wonder what the next book will be about?” Hmmm, find the wife’s killer, put him/her in the slammer and open an honest to goodness detective agency? There’s gotta be a movie in there somewhere.
A favorite character who lends some psychoanalytical mind fixing into the depressed ‘Life-of-Lew’ is eighty-year-old retired psychiatrist Ann Horowitz. She either calls his cell-phone, leaving brilliantly worded messages full of wisdom or raps on his office door bearing just the right bit of mind-magic as well as a hot cup of brew. Her ‘reality check’ in the form of excellently delivered dialog is alone worth the read. I think we could all use a hit of Horowitz’s mind-fixing now and again.
The snappy writing rhythm and surprisingly bleak dialog was pitch-perfect. It created a haunting, lonely quality that surrounds Lew like a gray cloud, drawing the reader into this carefully crafted world and yet managed to keep me wondering what could possibly happen next? The endless coincidences and clichés galore all flowed together into a fast-paced read just right for our long winters and padded with enough loose story lines for Kaminsky to write a pile more. I say, “Write on!”
July 23, 2011
"Denial" was my first Kaminsky book and my introduction to Lew Fonesca. This was an enjoyable read and I felt no loss at not having read earlier installments of the Lew Fonesca Mysteries. "Denial" stands on its own. The characters are quirky, the plot lines intertwine and keep you guessing. Just who is trying to kill Lew and why?
Lew is struggling with just making it through another day as he continually suffers from the loss of his wife six years earlier. Lew believes if he makes no contacts, he can't get hurt. It is best to avoid people. However, no matter how hard he tries, people find him. The irony here is that Lew's job is to find people.
Now Lew is looking for two people. The person who ran down a fourteen-year-old boy and the woman who was murdered in an old age home. Lew has the support and back up of an unusual crew that run the gamut from computer hackers to his self appointed senior citizen body guard /weapons expert. Everything a good PI story needs.
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I cannot wait to catch up on the other Lew Fonesca mysteries.
Lew is struggling with just making it through another day as he continually suffers from the loss of his wife six years earlier. Lew believes if he makes no contacts, he can't get hurt. It is best to avoid people. However, no matter how hard he tries, people find him. The irony here is that Lew's job is to find people.
Now Lew is looking for two people. The person who ran down a fourteen-year-old boy and the woman who was murdered in an old age home. Lew has the support and back up of an unusual crew that run the gamut from computer hackers to his self appointed senior citizen body guard /weapons expert. Everything a good PI story needs.
I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I cannot wait to catch up on the other Lew Fonesca mysteries.
July 9, 2013
As a longtime fan of Kaminsky's Inspector Rostnikov series, I thought I'd sample another series of his, and was very disappointed. Fonesca is a hard-boiled process server and "finder", somewhat akin to Spenser or Reacher. But he is far more depressed than either of those, so much so that his defining characteristics are that he never smiles and he has a hard time getting motivated enough to answer the phone or the door. Far from this creating an interesting facet to his personality, it makes him monotonous and tedious. Kaminsky takes a page from Parker's Spenser by writing staccato dialogue that is probably meant to sound profound in its simplicity, but manages only to sound inane. And he irritates one of my personal pet peeves by making frequent references to bygone music and films, seemingly to show a refined and discerning character, but ending up sounding just self-congratulatory. So, interestingly for me, Kaminsky's gifts which I have so enjoyed in one of his series, do not seem to have carried through in all his work.
September 3, 2012
Denial is an excellent novel in Kaminsky’s Lew Fonesca series. A woman hires Lew to find the man who killed her son by hitting him with his car. Another woman in a nursing home hires him to prove that she witnessed a murder in the nursing home. He solves both cases through plenty of interesting events and conversations with many colorful characters. The addition of Darrell, a thirteen year old angry black boy, who was given a choice to accept Lew as his “big brother” or enter the juvenile justice system, provided some humor. In addition to solving the cases, Ann (Lew’s psychiatrist) helps Lew realize what he needs do to deal with his grief. I have enjoyed all the Lew Fonesca mysteries very much, but this one is the best to date.
May 23, 2011
Lew Fonesca lives in his two room office behind the Dairy Queen in Sarasota, Florida. He's partial to chocolate cherry blizzards and black and white movies. He makes money as a process server but his real talent is in finding people. He has never recovered from the tragic hit and run death of his wife in Chicago several years before. For a man seemingly determined to remain detached from life, he has an amazing assortment of friends and acquaintances. I would love to share a burger and a beer with Lew and Ames at the Texas Bar and Grill, but I'll settle for backing up and starting this series at the beginning. Great!
June 11, 2009
The fourth in the Lew Fonesca series.
Fonesca is a character you can really feel for. His wife's death in a hit and run car accident has scarred him badly.
His talent for finding people keeps getting him involved in other peoples lives.
This time, one of the cases is for the parents of a teenaged boy who was killed in a hit and run accident. This hits too close to home for him.
The other case is about a mystery death in a nursing home.
The ending was a surprise and make me need to find the next book in the series.
Fonesca is a character you can really feel for. His wife's death in a hit and run car accident has scarred him badly.
His talent for finding people keeps getting him involved in other peoples lives.
This time, one of the cases is for the parents of a teenaged boy who was killed in a hit and run accident. This hits too close to home for him.
The other case is about a mystery death in a nursing home.
The ending was a surprise and make me need to find the next book in the series.
April 23, 2010
My first journey into the land of Kaminsky. He creates great quirky characters, a la Carl Haissen, that at times made me laugh out loud. Kaminsky's writing style is spare and to the point, as is the main protagonist. The mystery unfolds at a good pace with a couple surprising twists mixed with some "ok I know what's going on now" moments for the reader. A good quick mystery read.
July 26, 2012
This book made me laugh out loud several times. Ironic as the main character of the series is a depressed process server in Sarasota FL. He is funny w/out meaning to be. Mark of a good writer. Also another new character to add to the list of people that depend on Lew Fonesca whether he likes it or not.
April 21, 2011
Can picture Lew sitting at his office/apartment desk listening to a vinyl recording of Van Morrison proclaiming, Just like Greta Garbo I want to be alone. Then see Lew passing the Dairy Queen in pursuit of justice.
August 27, 2012
Some Language. I found this story sad because the main character, Lew Fonesca, is so sad about losing his wife. He can not get past his grief and does the work he does, finding people, to help him cope with his lose. Hopefully there is a follow up book and where he finds his wife's killer.
April 8, 2015
These are good, but wow, is Lew Fonesca depressing!
May 22, 2008
One of my favorite authors
Good series - Lew Fonesca
Good character development from book to book
Plot a bit weak on this one
Good series - Lew Fonesca
Good character development from book to book
Plot a bit weak on this one
March 29, 2009
Kaminsky is one of my favorites whether he is writing about Russian or Chicago cops, Hollywood PI’s, or (like in this book) a depressive process server who does favors for people in Florida.
September 17, 2009
Quick read, set in Sarasota. Fonesca is in denial about his wife's death, but that doesn't prevent him from finding people...
March 10, 2010
Lew Fonesca is a great character and this dependable series delivers. What a shame Kaminsky has died and there will, presumably, be no more entries in the series.
March 27, 2013
Wow. This was a surprise.
I wasn't thinking much about this but I liked the cover.
And I liked it.
I think anyone out there will too, as long as they like crime stories.
I wasn't thinking much about this but I liked the cover.
And I liked it.
I think anyone out there will too, as long as they like crime stories.
August 11, 2013
First Stuart Kaminsky book I ever read, except for his non-fiction book on mystery writers.
March 26, 2014
I keep rooting for Lew-his depression is deep in this mystery but he still comes thru with a little help from his friends. A great read!
May 31, 2014
Started a little slow but then got good quickly.
June 16, 2016
Good Mystery series that is set in Chicago. Enjoyable to read when one can visualize the surroundings as the story unfolds. Mr. Kaminsky's writing keeps the reader engaged.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews