Slow Train (The Slim Hardy Mystery Series Book 4)
By Jack Benton • ★★★★★
I received an early copy of Slow Train —and I loved it. It's another excellent Slim Hardy mystery.
Flush with an infusion of cash, Slim is back on the wagon and trying to take easy cases that keep his demons at bay. A missing woman from 1977 seems like a great choice—but uncovering all the creepy-crawlies that scurry out from under the rocks he overturns soon have him fighting to stay sober.
And yet, even with his struggles, Slim stays focused in spite of his revulsion to the case, and the unpleasantries it reveals. His dogged determination reminds me of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, and as in the other Slim Hardy books, it's the difference in how he succeeds where others have failed.
My one complaint is that Slim's love interest—and he does, finally, get a love interest—is a bit TOO perfect. She's young (much younger than Slim) and pretty and, to be honest, I'm not quite sure why she's chosen him. I do like how she pushes against his faults. And the complaint isn't nearly enough to dock a star.