masterful! i'm a huge fan of mid-century noir novels and this is an exceptional example. the story is great, the writing smart as a whip, and the characters tough as nails. there's not a shred of padding that often plagues contemporary crime fiction. Authors like Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) really knew how to present their stories without insulting the intelligence of their audience. this is book 16 of the series; there's a whole lot more reading ahead of me and i can't wait.