A DEADLY GAME

In Dabney’s 1980s-set thriller, a Philadelphia PI’s investigation lands him in the dangerous company of mobsters.

As a private detective, David Blaise keeps his clients’ information confidential. His real-estate owner and developer brother-in-law, Stuart Thomas, is no exception. He asks David to look into a recent homicide—the fatal shooting of a man Stuart claims he doesn’t know. But he definitely knows where the murder happened, as it’s one of his company’s properties. Perhaps more concerning are the mobsters with an unexplained interest in the murder victim. As an organized crime war rages on in Philadelphia, mobsters on opposing sides continually turn up with ties to the PI’s murder investigation. All the while, David falls behind on his office rent and strives to be a better man for his girlfriend, Clara. Dabney’s sophomore series installment moves at a steady clip; David squeezes other jobs into his busy schedule (one for an old high-school friend and another for his skeevy landlord). The story hits many of the beats of a traditional (albeit enthralling) detective story, from deceitful clients to David getting roughed up. It’s the nuanced character of David himself who truly elevates this tale: He has worked in Naval intelligence and as a transit cop and, as a Black man, he isn’t immune to racist attitudes and treatment. Despite threats and financial and relationship troubles, he’s a consummate professional and perpetually unruffled (“I didn’t have many cards but I decided to play the strongest one, though it was still weak. Besides, if they intended to arrest me, we wouldn’t be sitting in a police car having a chinwag. I’d be in handcuffs and headed to the Roundhouse”). Even if readers guess the story’s outcome, it’s a treat to watch how skillfully and efficiently David closes his cases.

A charismatic private eye electrifies this absorbing murder mystery.