What do you think?
Rate this book
Willis Gidney #1
Drink the Tea
Willis Gidney is a born liar and rip-off artist, an expert at the scam. Growing up without parents or a home, by age twelve he is a successful young man, running his own small empire, until he meets Shadrack Davies. That's Captain Shadrack Davies, of the D.C. Police. Davies wants to reform Gidney and becomes his foster father. Though he tries not to, Gidney learns a small amount of ethics from Shad---just enough to bother a kid from the streets for the rest of his life.
Now Gidney is a PI, walking those same streets. So it's no surprise that when his closest friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, asks Gidney to find his missing daughter, Gidney is compelled to say yes---even though she's been missing for twenty-five years. He finds a woman who may be the girl's mother--and within hours she turns up dead. The police accuse Gidney of the murder and throw him in jail.
Maybe Gidney should quit while he's behind. But when his investigation puts him up against a ruthless multinational corporation, a two-faced congressman, and a young woman desperate to conceal her past, Gidney has no time left for second thoughts. In fact, he may have no time left at all.
Thomas Kaufman is a winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition. His debut novel, Drink the Tea, which boasts an original PI and an engaging cast of characters, adds a fresh perspective to the genre.
Now Gidney is a PI, walking those same streets. So it's no surprise that when his closest friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, asks Gidney to find his missing daughter, Gidney is compelled to say yes---even though she's been missing for twenty-five years. He finds a woman who may be the girl's mother--and within hours she turns up dead. The police accuse Gidney of the murder and throw him in jail.
Maybe Gidney should quit while he's behind. But when his investigation puts him up against a ruthless multinational corporation, a two-faced congressman, and a young woman desperate to conceal her past, Gidney has no time left for second thoughts. In fact, he may have no time left at all.
Thomas Kaufman is a winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition. His debut novel, Drink the Tea, which boasts an original PI and an engaging cast of characters, adds a fresh perspective to the genre.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2010
7 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
October 29, 2012
Not bad. What this book lacks in pace and suspense it makes up for in complexity which is sometimes a good thing and at others just adds to what weighs this one down.
In the end it's a good enough read but a REALLY stupid choice by an otherwise smart character to set up the climax may leave you shaking your head to hard to recommend it to others.
In the end it's a good enough read but a REALLY stupid choice by an otherwise smart character to set up the climax may leave you shaking your head to hard to recommend it to others.
July 29, 2011
Thomas Kaufman
Drink the Tea (Minotaur 2010) introduces Willis Gidney, a smart-mouthed former foster child and scam-artist, now trying to establish himself as a private investigator in Washington, DC. Steps Jackson, a jazz saxophonist, asks Willis to find the grown daughter he just discovered existed. The only clue is that someone overheard someone mentioning that he went to school with Steps Jackson’s daughter. Willis doesn’t even have a name, but Steps is fairly sure when the child would have been conceived 25 years earlier, so Willis agrees to take on what he fears will be a futile search. The investigation soon attracts the attention of an ambitious right-wing politician and the thugs working at his private security firm. The politician tries to buy Willis off, and the thugs try to scare him off, but Willis is determined to see the search through for his old friend Steps. With the help of a beautiful hacker, Willis discovers connections between the congressman and a ruthless international corporation only too willing to dispose of anyone who might endanger their profitable and illegal business. Willis’s past as an abandoned child, and his relationship with police captain Shadrack Davies who helped mold his ethics, is slowly revealed throughout this fast-paced debut novel, a finalist for the 2011 Thriller Award for Best First Novel.
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/K_A...
Drink the Tea (Minotaur 2010) introduces Willis Gidney, a smart-mouthed former foster child and scam-artist, now trying to establish himself as a private investigator in Washington, DC. Steps Jackson, a jazz saxophonist, asks Willis to find the grown daughter he just discovered existed. The only clue is that someone overheard someone mentioning that he went to school with Steps Jackson’s daughter. Willis doesn’t even have a name, but Steps is fairly sure when the child would have been conceived 25 years earlier, so Willis agrees to take on what he fears will be a futile search. The investigation soon attracts the attention of an ambitious right-wing politician and the thugs working at his private security firm. The politician tries to buy Willis off, and the thugs try to scare him off, but Willis is determined to see the search through for his old friend Steps. With the help of a beautiful hacker, Willis discovers connections between the congressman and a ruthless international corporation only too willing to dispose of anyone who might endanger their profitable and illegal business. Willis’s past as an abandoned child, and his relationship with police captain Shadrack Davies who helped mold his ethics, is slowly revealed throughout this fast-paced debut novel, a finalist for the 2011 Thriller Award for Best First Novel.
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/K_A...
March 29, 2010
Kaufman's first mystery introducing P.I. Willis Gidney, a Washington, D.C. locale and inside-the-beltway feel. Gidney is a great character in the wise-cracking hard-boiled mold. I enjoyed the book and look forward to sequels, but I did find the plot a bit too convoluted and improbable.
May 7, 2010
I don't get the appeal of the book. It's gotten great reviews, but I'm wondering if it's supposed to be a spoof of a detective novel or what. The narrative is all over the place and the plot so far-fetched that I lost interest pretty quickly. The humor did not amuse me.
Not my cuppa tea.
Not my cuppa tea.
June 2, 2018
This was OK, but I am surprised that it seems to have won an award for Best First Private Eye Novel. It was too convoluted with too many plot threads and the twist in the final chapters was too unrealistic.
July 12, 2018
good mystery though a little disjointed at times
March 23, 2017
The main protagonist has too many incompatible characteristics in his personality rendering himself unbelievable beyond willing suspension of disbelief and he works way too hard in trying to be amusing as to make him irritating.
May 2, 2016
PROTAGONIST: Willis Gidney, PI
SETTING: Washington, DC
SERIES: #1
RATING: 3.5
It isn’t often that someone who is a product of the streets and who has spent a chunk of his youth in the juvenile justice system is able to become a productive, law-abiding citizen. Willis Gidney spent his early years bouncing around between foster homes where he would deliberately misbehave so that he could go back to where he really felt he really belonged, the youth incarceration center where he could work scams with his best friend, Eddie Vermeer. Eventually, a cop named Shadrack Davies takes Willis into his family where he begins to thrive. But Gidney knows he has business to take care of at the prison and again behaves so abominably that even Shad gives up on him.
Now that Willis is an adult, he’s turned his skills in a more legal direction, becoming a private investigator. He has the raw talent to do well at his chosen profession, especially since he’s learned the ways of the authorities at the hands of his foster father and has survived the mean streets of Washington, DC. He is still a novice in many ways and doesn’t always follow the logical course in investigating. At the moment, he’s been asked by his best friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, to find his missing daughter. The search is complicated by the fact that Steps has never met the young woman, who was conceived in a brief relationship many years earlier. It doesn’t help that she has a rather generic name, “Bobbie Jackson”. Despite that, Willis is successful in finding information that leads him to her door. His troubles only begin at that point; he finds himself facing a murder charge and some rather evil political and business types.
The book follows two narrative paths, one concentrating on the details of Gidney’s youth and one focusing on the present day. Willis’s childhood background was an important factor in understanding his adult actions and served well in developing the character. There were a few missteps along the way, including a street hood who spoke in haiku. I appreciated Gidney’s sense of humor but felt it was sometimes overdone, as he wisecracked in situations where he was in grave danger.
Kaufman won the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel competition. Although DRINK THE TEA isn’t a perfect book, it shows great promise as Willis shows signs of developing into a formidable investigator. He’s certainly an original character, which bodes well for a possible series.
SETTING: Washington, DC
SERIES: #1
RATING: 3.5
It isn’t often that someone who is a product of the streets and who has spent a chunk of his youth in the juvenile justice system is able to become a productive, law-abiding citizen. Willis Gidney spent his early years bouncing around between foster homes where he would deliberately misbehave so that he could go back to where he really felt he really belonged, the youth incarceration center where he could work scams with his best friend, Eddie Vermeer. Eventually, a cop named Shadrack Davies takes Willis into his family where he begins to thrive. But Gidney knows he has business to take care of at the prison and again behaves so abominably that even Shad gives up on him.
Now that Willis is an adult, he’s turned his skills in a more legal direction, becoming a private investigator. He has the raw talent to do well at his chosen profession, especially since he’s learned the ways of the authorities at the hands of his foster father and has survived the mean streets of Washington, DC. He is still a novice in many ways and doesn’t always follow the logical course in investigating. At the moment, he’s been asked by his best friend, jazz saxophonist Steps Jackson, to find his missing daughter. The search is complicated by the fact that Steps has never met the young woman, who was conceived in a brief relationship many years earlier. It doesn’t help that she has a rather generic name, “Bobbie Jackson”. Despite that, Willis is successful in finding information that leads him to her door. His troubles only begin at that point; he finds himself facing a murder charge and some rather evil political and business types.
The book follows two narrative paths, one concentrating on the details of Gidney’s youth and one focusing on the present day. Willis’s childhood background was an important factor in understanding his adult actions and served well in developing the character. There were a few missteps along the way, including a street hood who spoke in haiku. I appreciated Gidney’s sense of humor but felt it was sometimes overdone, as he wisecracked in situations where he was in grave danger.
Kaufman won the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel competition. Although DRINK THE TEA isn’t a perfect book, it shows great promise as Willis shows signs of developing into a formidable investigator. He’s certainly an original character, which bodes well for a possible series.
March 7, 2016
Willis Gidney is a man who started life off on the wrong foot. He was raised in the Washington, D.C. area – the product of years in foster homes and detention centers, as well as the subject of juvenile proceedings as an "at risk" youth. (Unsure of his real identity, he acquired his name from two cops who arrested him.) When the story starts, Gidney is an adult and a private eye, who walks the mean streets where he once ran.
Gidney is hired by jazz musician Steps Jackson to find his missing daughter. Although the daughter has been missing for 25 years, making for a pretty cold trail, Steps is one of Gidney's closest friends, so he feels compelled to take the case.
Gidney manages to track down various people who know the daughter. The investigation takes him all over D.C., which is described with just enough detail to make you feel you're there.
The more Gidney investigates, the deeper he gets in over his head. Little does he know he's dealing with powers much higher than he's ever handled. The dangers become more evident as the story progresses and people start dying.
Gidney is a welcome departure from the usual private eye protagonist, in that he comes from such a poor background. The story is told from an ever-so-slightly jaded point of view, as a result. And the book delves into Gidney's background in enough detail and with enough suspense about his past to keep readers turning the pages to learn more. And Kaufman has a gift for telling Gidney's backstory without bringing the main narrative to a screeching halt.
Kaufman does follow the hardboiled tradition of making Gidney a wise-cracking detective. The narrative is laden with Gidney's clever, sardonic views, which make him even more likable. Gidney's friends also make a compelling cast of characters.
To read the entire review, go to: http://detective-fiction.suite101.com...
Gidney is hired by jazz musician Steps Jackson to find his missing daughter. Although the daughter has been missing for 25 years, making for a pretty cold trail, Steps is one of Gidney's closest friends, so he feels compelled to take the case.
Gidney manages to track down various people who know the daughter. The investigation takes him all over D.C., which is described with just enough detail to make you feel you're there.
The more Gidney investigates, the deeper he gets in over his head. Little does he know he's dealing with powers much higher than he's ever handled. The dangers become more evident as the story progresses and people start dying.
Gidney is a welcome departure from the usual private eye protagonist, in that he comes from such a poor background. The story is told from an ever-so-slightly jaded point of view, as a result. And the book delves into Gidney's background in enough detail and with enough suspense about his past to keep readers turning the pages to learn more. And Kaufman has a gift for telling Gidney's backstory without bringing the main narrative to a screeching halt.
Kaufman does follow the hardboiled tradition of making Gidney a wise-cracking detective. The narrative is laden with Gidney's clever, sardonic views, which make him even more likable. Gidney's friends also make a compelling cast of characters.
To read the entire review, go to: http://detective-fiction.suite101.com...
May 5, 2010
I'll read pretty much any crime novel about my hometown of Washington, D.C. -- heck I'll read just about any contemporary fiction about D.C. So, it was a no-brainer for me to pick up this debut, featuring a struggling D.C. private eye in his mid-30s. Willis Gidney grew up rough, in and out of foster homes and city-run orphanages, and he still bears the scars of those years. Now, he ekes out a living serving papers and spying on cheating husbands and wives. However, one evening, he sits down for a drink with his friend Steps Jackson, a famous jazz musician (Speaking of which, can we please have a moratorium on detectives and cops who are jazz aficionados? It seems like every third crime novel features a protagonist with a one in a million appreciation for rare jazz.), and is asked to do something a little more unusual -- track down his long-lost daughter.
The missing persons case embroils Gidney in all kinds of dangerous situations, from confronting strapped street hoodlums to the far more dangerous denizens of Congress, not to mention a murky Blackwateresqe private security firm. And of course, a love interest in introduced, who is able to help him with all things computer-related. I quite liked Gidney as a character, and I found his backstory pretty interesting, and the details about DC are right on the nail (parking features prominently). However, the story veers way off into a Grisham-like conspiracy involving powerful multinational corporations, crooked Congresspeople, explosions, and things of that ilk (which requires a large coincidence to help resolve). I prefer my crime stories to be at a smaller, more mundane scale (think Elmore Leonard, think George Pelecanos, etc), more on the streets and less in the corridors of power, and so the story didn't fully engage me. Still, it's a decent debut, and Gidney is a promising character I'll definitely revisit if he has more cases forthcoming.
The missing persons case embroils Gidney in all kinds of dangerous situations, from confronting strapped street hoodlums to the far more dangerous denizens of Congress, not to mention a murky Blackwateresqe private security firm. And of course, a love interest in introduced, who is able to help him with all things computer-related. I quite liked Gidney as a character, and I found his backstory pretty interesting, and the details about DC are right on the nail (parking features prominently). However, the story veers way off into a Grisham-like conspiracy involving powerful multinational corporations, crooked Congresspeople, explosions, and things of that ilk (which requires a large coincidence to help resolve). I prefer my crime stories to be at a smaller, more mundane scale (think Elmore Leonard, think George Pelecanos, etc), more on the streets and less in the corridors of power, and so the story didn't fully engage me. Still, it's a decent debut, and Gidney is a promising character I'll definitely revisit if he has more cases forthcoming.
April 26, 2010
Thomas Kaufman - Drink the Tea
I found the writer Thomas Kaufman through Facebook. He was nice enough to friend me and I thought, hey why not give his book a try. I enjoy finding new things to read out of my “core circle “of novelists. Kaufman intrigued me. His debut novel,”Drink the Tea” won a PWA Best First Private Eye novel competition. It’s an unusual title for a mystery with a new and unusual P.I.; so I figured what do I have to lose? I got my hands on it went for a wild ride.
I had the chance to encounter Kaufman. Here are a few words on how he writes and where he gets his ideas.
Where do you get your ideas?
“They are emailed to me daily from a sweat shop at the North Pole.”
Is “Drink the Tea” a noir novel?
No, Tea has too much humor to be considered noir. Two series that I have read are Donald Westlake’s books about Dortmunder, and Lawrence Block’s about Bernie Rhodenbarr. I’m writing the kind of book I love to read.
So what inspired you?
I was in a restaurant with two friends, one of them was a young professional Latina women. It was a Mexican place, and the waitress was Latina. The professional woman was quite mean to the waitress though the waitress had done nothing wrong. I guess that started me thinking.
That was it? That was the basis of a novel?
No, but it was one of the incidents that got me to thinking of different characters and how an incident like that could prove important in a story.
I recommend Tea. Gidney as the main character is a great type of Private Eye. The book is a quick read that is enjoyable and rewarding. Willis, ever the wise guy, peppers us with dialogue like it streams from an Uzi, full blast. Quick witted, full of heart, give it a go .What are you reading today? Check us out on Facebook, Goodreads; follow us on Twitter and Linkedin.
I found the writer Thomas Kaufman through Facebook. He was nice enough to friend me and I thought, hey why not give his book a try. I enjoy finding new things to read out of my “core circle “of novelists. Kaufman intrigued me. His debut novel,”Drink the Tea” won a PWA Best First Private Eye novel competition. It’s an unusual title for a mystery with a new and unusual P.I.; so I figured what do I have to lose? I got my hands on it went for a wild ride.
I had the chance to encounter Kaufman. Here are a few words on how he writes and where he gets his ideas.
Where do you get your ideas?
“They are emailed to me daily from a sweat shop at the North Pole.”
Is “Drink the Tea” a noir novel?
No, Tea has too much humor to be considered noir. Two series that I have read are Donald Westlake’s books about Dortmunder, and Lawrence Block’s about Bernie Rhodenbarr. I’m writing the kind of book I love to read.
So what inspired you?
I was in a restaurant with two friends, one of them was a young professional Latina women. It was a Mexican place, and the waitress was Latina. The professional woman was quite mean to the waitress though the waitress had done nothing wrong. I guess that started me thinking.
That was it? That was the basis of a novel?
No, but it was one of the incidents that got me to thinking of different characters and how an incident like that could prove important in a story.
I recommend Tea. Gidney as the main character is a great type of Private Eye. The book is a quick read that is enjoyable and rewarding. Willis, ever the wise guy, peppers us with dialogue like it streams from an Uzi, full blast. Quick witted, full of heart, give it a go .What are you reading today? Check us out on Facebook, Goodreads; follow us on Twitter and Linkedin.
April 3, 2010
Willis Gidney is a private investigator. If you had told Gidney that he would some day become a PI, he would have laughed in your face. Gidney came from the streets of Washington; D.C. Gidney was a con artist and liar. That all changed when Gidney was taken in by Police Captain Shadrack Davies. Captain Davies helped show Gidney the straight and narrow path. Of course, you can never truly rid Gidney of his old ways. .
Steps Jackson is a famous Jazz saxophonist. He is also a good friend of Gidney’s. Steps asks Gidney to locate his daughter. First Gidney didn’t know Steps had a daughter and second thing; she has been missing for twenty one years. This case will take Gidney to the dangerous and seedy underbelly of the streets of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Kaufman is an Emmy award winning movie director and cameraman. I could see why Mr. Kaufman is at the top of his game. It showed in his debut novel…Drink the Tea. The characters were not just one-dimensional, which made me engaged in the story more. I really liked Willis. He had this rough edge to him from his days on the streets but he also had brain smarts as well. Mr. Kaufman through out some well placed twists in this plot. I was only about a third of the way into this book when I encountered the first surprise. I am not giving anything away, so if you want to know what it is, then you will just have to pick up a copy of this book for your self.
Steps Jackson is a famous Jazz saxophonist. He is also a good friend of Gidney’s. Steps asks Gidney to locate his daughter. First Gidney didn’t know Steps had a daughter and second thing; she has been missing for twenty one years. This case will take Gidney to the dangerous and seedy underbelly of the streets of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Kaufman is an Emmy award winning movie director and cameraman. I could see why Mr. Kaufman is at the top of his game. It showed in his debut novel…Drink the Tea. The characters were not just one-dimensional, which made me engaged in the story more. I really liked Willis. He had this rough edge to him from his days on the streets but he also had brain smarts as well. Mr. Kaufman through out some well placed twists in this plot. I was only about a third of the way into this book when I encountered the first surprise. I am not giving anything away, so if you want to know what it is, then you will just have to pick up a copy of this book for your self.
September 26, 2011
Thomas Kaufman has created an interesting detective. Willis Gidney grew up on the hard streets of Washington DC. He didn't have many good influences on him, but he did okay for himself. He works part time at polka record store while trying to get his PI career off the ground. Most of his cases have been spying on cheating husbands so far. He just needs one big case to bust him out of his life. Steps Jackson's case should have been anything but that. Jackson just found out that he might have a daughter, Bobbie Jackson. He's never met his kid and it's been 20 some years. Steps didn't even know he had a daughter until recently. Step Jackson decides to ask his friend Willis Gidney to help him out. Little did either know all the insanity that would come out of looking for Bobbie Jackson.
This is a fun mystery. Every time you find out a little more about Willis or Bobbie the whole book takes a turn. You're in a totally new situation and not sure what to think. Willis is confused by everything too. This was supposed to be a little missing person's case, not something that went into the government and its senators. Willis is getting beat up every time he tries to find any information about Bobbie.
If you like Washington DC and mystery books this is one for you. It's got tons of mystery, from who our PI is to who he's trying to find. Drink the Tea is a fun read. I enjoyed it.
This is a fun mystery. Every time you find out a little more about Willis or Bobbie the whole book takes a turn. You're in a totally new situation and not sure what to think. Willis is confused by everything too. This was supposed to be a little missing person's case, not something that went into the government and its senators. Willis is getting beat up every time he tries to find any information about Bobbie.
If you like Washington DC and mystery books this is one for you. It's got tons of mystery, from who our PI is to who he's trying to find. Drink the Tea is a fun read. I enjoyed it.
March 15, 2010
Thomas Kaufman creates a delectable new character with PI Willis Gidney - a pretty tough guy with a pretty tough background. Gidney grew up in a brutal foster care system and has the scars, physical and emotional, to show for it. In flashbacks, the author provides valuable glimpses into what shaped Willis to be the man he is today. The story focuses on a case that Willis takes on to help his friend locate his long-lost daughter. As Gidney delves deeper into her disappearance, it's very clear early on that someone doesn't want him to -- and will stop at nothing to make sure that happens. But Gidney is determined and doesn't give up that easily. He pulls a thread that leads to much more than just finding his friend's daughter. Along the way, he meets up with violence, more threats, high-stakes players, and even a little romance. Here's hoping this is just the first adventure for Gidney!
December 29, 2015
In creating a gumshoe hero it's difficult to make them stand out. Thomas Kaufman has managed to find in Willis Gidney a scam artist and born con man. A child of the streets, he was taken under the wing of a D.C. police captain who becomes his foster father and gives him a crash course in ethics. Now a private eye, Gidney is hired by his close friend Steps Jackson to find his missing daughter. Never mind that she left 25 years ago; Steps wants to see her again and Gidney cannot say no. In the course of his investigation he meets up with a dishonest politician, a ruthless multinational corporation and a murder charge. Gidney is one of the most unique detective heroes in a long time, not entirely honest but too decent to really be bad. I look forward to reading a lot more of his adventures down the mean streets of Washington.
January 29, 2011
This is a debut PI mystery for Kaufman. Willis Gidney is the main character/PI with a past of growing up a homeless and parentless child through the DC juvenile system. Kaufman weaves Gidney's interesting back-story through the main storyline, Gidney trying to find an until recently unknown daughter of a friend. I really liked the characters in this book, always a must for any good book for me. The plot gets rather convoluted and at times maybe unnecessarily so, but it is a good ride, interesting, kept me engaged and by the last third of the book flipping pages like crazy. I look forward to the next Kaufman book. Recommended.
April 12, 2010
Odd mystery; first novel. Willis Gidney, orphaned and brought up in foster homes and an orphanage, is befriended by a policeman who brings him home. Situation doesn't work out, policeman is killed and Willis always feels badly. Now he's a PI who's sent in search of the missing daughter of Steps Jackson, but he actually lands in a larger investigation with a multinational corporation using a congressman to scare Americans, get rid of other congressman, and raise hemp [drugs:] on superfund cleanup sites. Set in DC area, which is only reason I checked out book.
April 21, 2010
Kaufman has a very pleasant and unique voice - hard-boiled and funny. DC is very well depicted, a blend of actual locations and fictitious ones that would fit right in. Gidney's evolution as a private detective and a grownup parallel nicely the mystery plot that involves politics, sex, and families. He juggles all the strands nicely and what emerges is a quality image of DC worthy of a great cinematographer (which Tom just happens to be).
February 1, 2011
I enjoy reading debut authors. Thomas Kaufman did a credible job of holding my interest throughout. The plot was not all that original but using the plot device of alternating between past and present supported why the protaganist, Willis Gidney, kept persevering when us mere mortals would have closed the case and gone on to other things. There is a lot of action, a great supporting cast of unforgettable characters, and hopefully a second book on its way.
August 16, 2011
I enjoyed the back-and-forth between the PI story of Willis Gidney, and his rough background. Part of the appeal is Kaufman is a local author, and the story is set in the Washington, DC area; s, there were plenty of opportunities to recognize places that were mentioned. I had some problems with the frequent "issues" Willis mentions with a romantic interest, Lilly. They're clearly attracted, so I mean get over yourself with the fake protests!
October 25, 2011
This is the first in a new series set in DC, with an interesting detective - a white kid who grew up in the very rough juvie and foster care system in DC. The one foster parent who was ever decent to him was a black DC cop, who saw the kid's potential and tried to turn him around. The kid eventually goes through the police academy but can't hack it as a cop - so he becomes a private detective. Engaging storyline with interesting characters.
August 11, 2012
This would be a good first book in a series, but so far, I don't see others listed. We are introduced to the main character, and given a bit of his juvenile delinquent history as the story evolves. Good setting in our nation's capital, and a wide range of supporting characters. It will leave you hoping for more and wondering what happened next.
March 11, 2015
Not a bad story and no real problems with how it was written with one exception: I felt the author frequently wasn't sure where he was leading the reader. I don't have a problem being mislead but I don't like feeling the author is misleading himself at the same time. Perhaps his writing becomes more cohesive and polished in later books?
Read
July 29, 2011I enjoyed this book, although I found the switching between guardian and delinquent somewhat hard to follow at first. The story is a good one, somewhat unusual as well, and a good addition to the genre of murder mysteries and the writers who write them.
September 23, 2011
I had just one word to descrine this book, I'd say it was implausable. I just didn't believe anything. Not in the main character, not in the motives of the side characters, nobody. He tried to do too much with too small a book so there wasn't nearly enough development.
November 28, 2012
Wise-guy private eye crime fiction genre, others preferred. This book fell flat for me and I thought elements of the story and characters hit a false note. Readable, but I probably won't continue with this series.
Read
April 26, 2010Watch Bethanne Patrick interview Thomas Kaufman about his new book Drink the Tea on The Book Studio.
April 27, 2010
Good fast-paced debut mystery by Thomas Kaufman. Liked the characters and the D.C. setting. I hope to see a follow up.
May 27, 2010
Pretty good private eye summer read.
July 20, 2010
A wonderful discovery! I really enjoyed just about everything about this book. Can't wait for more adventures of Willis and Lilly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews