Getting Away with Murder

A PI is hired by a gangster marked for murder: “Benny Cooperman is . . . a lot of fun to hang out with” (Donald E. Westlake).
 
Benny Cooperman is a very effective detective—though he does get a little squeamish when things turn violent. He is snugly tucked in his bed in quiet Grantham, a Canadian town near Niagara Falls, when three unsavory thugs drag him out and present him like a trophy to notorious crime boss Abram Wise. Someone has made two attempts on the gangster’s life, and with no one else to turn to, he wants Cooperman to investigate.
 
In this novel from the Arthur Ellis Award-winning author, the colorful cast includes Wise’s two disgruntled ex-wives, an alluring supermodel, an irate foreign car dealer, and an eccentric retired librarian—as Cooperman finds himself entangled in more corruption, vengeance, and intrigue than one could ever imagine existing in a sleepy little village . . .
 
“The Cooperman novels are heavy on full-bodied characters, sharp dialogue, and rich humor.” —Booklist
 
“Mr. Engel is a born writer, a natural stylist. This is a writer who can bring a character to life in a few lines.” —Ruth Rendell
 
Getting Away with Murder is the ninth book in the Benny Cooperman Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.