My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Presto Variations is a Dundurn Press publication. I received this book from the publisher and Edelweiss for an honest review. This book is scheduled for a late 2013/ early 2014 release. Djuna Brown and Ray Tate are back after their jaunt to Paris on the credit card belonging to the police department. Expecting to be jailed for the stunt, they are surprised to find that they not only were not arrested, they actually still have jobs. Well, jobs a few rungs down the ladder from where they were. When they inadvertently discover that some members of organized crime are sitting on a huge amount of cash unable to move it, Brown and Tate are put on the case. Marko is in a pickle. He has loads of cash, but can't move it. He and another "buddy" come up with a plan to move the money over the border. They need to get help from some old friends. Bobby and his wife. Bobby and Marko were "blood brothers" once. But, while Marko was serving time, Bobby married Marko's lady. Not only that, Bobby wants nothing to do with the drug trade. There is only one way Bobby would help Marko and Marko knows just what buttons to push. From this set up comes the true nature of criminals. They are greedy, mean, double crossing, and dangerous. As the story begins, we learn that Brown is still hurting from an incident in her not so distant past. She and Ray are just trying to get through this case with the plan to return to Paris. For the couple it's the only thing that gives them the incentive to continue. They do a great job, but their hearts just don't seem to be into their careers at the moment. Brown is down for most of the novel and Ray is concerned about their relationship and Brown's emotional stability. Brown needs some good to come from the job, but her focus is always on the negative side of things. Ray is more optimistic. But, their personality differences may ultimately come between them. This is a dark and moody mystery thriller. Organized crime is endlessly fascinating . These guys don't really fall into any stereotypes like old school mafia types. But, none of them really seem to have much of a conscience. They flit from one emotion to another in a heartbeat. You never know who will come out this thing alive. This is the first book I've read by this author. I am interested in reading some of the non-fiction books he has written about organized crime as well. Overall a B+ ( )