Quinn Checks in

by MR Lh Thomson

[violetpeanut]

This was a really enjoyable, gritty mystery. Set in Philadelphia, Quinn has recently been released from prison where he was serving a term for art forgery. Now, working as an insurance investigator, he becomes involved in the mystery of a stolen painting.

I liked the main character, Quinn. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy who wants to stay on the straight and narrow but isn't afraid to get his hands a little dirty if he needs to. As an ex-boxer, he knows how to use his body to his advantage and gives as good as he gets. At the same time, he has a heart. When it comes to women he's got a blind spot but that only makes him more likeable. I also liked that he has a soft spot for Nora (his childhood love) and doesn't just jump into bed with anyone in a skirt.

The neighborhood and the supporting characters set the scenes nicely. In fact, the neighborhood could almost be considered a supporting character in itself. The author includes a lot of details that make you feel how close-knit the community is and does a great job giving you a glimpse into it. Irish mothers who expect you home for Sunday dinner, brothers who are cops and priests, a local bar where everyone hangs out - all of these things set the stage but also make you understand Quinn all the more.

I didn't really care for some of the dialogue and the accents the author used. He tries to use a local "Philly speak" while I see what he was going for in trying to submerge the reader into the world, I don't think it came off as totally authentic. There were a few moments that seemed cheesy to me. When Quinn himself speaks it drove me a little crazy that he went back and forth between using proper speech and falling into local accent. It didn't seem to me that he was consistent.

As for plot, I enjoyed it. I didn't know where the story was going which is nice. It's always a little frustrating and disappointing to me when I can predict the ending way ahead of time. Here, I had no idea where things were going until the final reveal. Everything was resolved nicely but also set up well for the next book in the series.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable first entry in the series and I would be interested in seeing where Quinn goes from here.