Nicotine Kiss

Amos Walker #18

by Loren D. Estleman

In this installment of Loren Estleman's signature PI series, Amos Walker, the quintessential hard-boiled detective, proves that he's mortal after all. Jeff Starzek, an old friend who smuggles cigarettes for a living, saves Walker's life, getting him to the hospital after he's taken a bullet in the leg. A month later, still convalescing, Walker gets a panicked phone call from Starzek's sister. Jeff is missing. One of the few leads is a Homeland Security agent who's after Starzek, in connection with a counterfeiting operation that may have terrorist ties.Though Walker doubts Starzek is a terrorist, he finds treasury paper at a church run by Starzek's brother. Then Starzek's brother disappears too. Back to square one, Walker follows his best hunch, driving Starzek's usual cigarette route along the Lake Huron shore, and finally gets a solid lead on the paper hangers. But before Walker can break the case, someone tries to shoot him—and he's accused of murder. Walker will need all of his intestinal fortitude, injured leg notwithstanding, to stay alive long enough to figure out who's doing what to whom, in time to save his friend, in Nicotine Kiss.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Detective

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 2005

About the author

Loren D. Estleman is an American writer of detective and Western fiction. He writes with a manual typewriter.

Estleman is most famous for his novels about P.I. Amos Walker. Other series characters include Old West marshal Page Murdock and hitman Peter Macklin. He has also written a series of novels about the history of crime in Detroit (also the setting of his Walker books.) His non-series works include Bloody Season, a fictional recreation of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and several novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes.

Series:
* Amos Walker Mystery
* Valentino Mystery
* Detroit Crime Mystery
* Peter Macklin Mystery
* Page Murdock Mystery

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Years ago, A cigarette smuggler saved Amos Walker's life. Now the smuggler has disappeared, and Amos goes to find him in the rural corruption of Lake Huron. The Feds get involved, to everyone's dismay, to find counterfeit money paper. Walker is still injured from a recent incident, but he tries not to let that slow him down too much.

Not bad, some pretty good action.

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another installment in Loren Estleman's excellent series featuring Amos Walker. Walker, a Detroit P.I., is a throwback both in literary and literal terms. He prowls the mean streets in a souped-up Oldsmobile Cutlass, but he has a lot more in common with Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe than with Elvis Cole, Spencer or Patrick Kenzie. He refuses to own a cell phone, doesn't use computers, and prefers to do his investigative work the old-fashioned way, knocking on doors, talking to people and taking their measure. He also gets beat up a lot.

Walker also has a strong moral code, reminiscent of Samuel Spade. So when a cigarette smuggler named Jeff Starzek saves his life, Walker feels indebted. Several months later, Starzek goes missing and his sister begs Walker to find him. Starzek appears to be in the crosshairs of the Department of Homeland Security and those of a lot of other bad actors as well. But a man's gotta do, etc., and so Walker wades into the breach and begins searching for the missing smuggler. More accurately, he hobbles into the breach; did I mention that Walker gets beat up a lot?

Before long, Walker is up to his neck in snow and in trouble. But that's par for the course for Walker, who won't let down a friend, no matter the personal cost. Those who've read Walker's earlier exploits will enjoy this book a lot; those who haven't yet made his acquaintance will likely read this book and wind up searching through the used book stores for the earlier novels in this series.

[Thomas Burchfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Estleman's western fiction, but I thought I'd try one of his Amos Walker novels. Very pleasing, funny and entertaining; and extremely well written..

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid modern noir. Interesting if slight plot, strong characters and setting and briskly paced. But of a trite ending, but the ride (pun intended for those who read it) was worth it.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great escapist fun. This is the first Amos Walker private eye book that I've read and I enjoyed Estleman's clever way with words. He's also a Michigan resident that uses the local geography for his work. Walker is an older, grumpy kind of guy who's not above a little criminal activity himself. The good guys and bad guys in this book also don't stay within expectations. Highly recommended for those of us who need a break from reality now and then.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#18 in the Amos Walker series. Walker is a hard-boiled Detroit PI.

Amos Walker is shot while seeking a deadbeat dad and his life is saved when a smuggler acquaintance speeds him to a hospital. The smuggler's sister hires Walker to find her brother; his brother disavows any information, then winds up dead; and, a Homeland Security agent claims the smuggler is tied to a counterfeiting activity benefiting terrorist activity.

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Amos Walker show.

Outside of Detroit this time on Lake Huron

The Feds are the bad guys again.

Gritty with lots of throw away humor: Can 3 month old babies have nightmares? They are born naked into a room filled with people wearing masks. Think about it!!!

[Mary Thomas]

An Amos Walker Novel

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amos Walker this time out tangles with counterfieters in cold Detroit and walks with a cane. Lots of action and great, hardboiled prose, as always.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the Michigan settings for this story, but didn't like it as much as Whiskey River, by the same author. If you like James Ellroy this would be right up your alley.

[H L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never got past the first few chapters. I didn't care for the tone or use of language (lots of references I didn't get), so I gave up.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as hard-boiled detectives, Amos Walker is as good as they come. Loren Estleman's narration is quick-witted and cliche-free. Estleman is a Michigan original.
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[Anthony DeCastro · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty forgettable entry in the series.