Bloody London by Reggie Nadelson

TITLE: Bloody London
AUTHOR: Reggie Nadelson
PUBLISHER/YEAR: Arrow/2006
SERIES: Yes
SOURCE: Purchased

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Bloody London is one of those books that I bought years ago that I never got around to reading. I'm trying to get through the massive pile that's been sitting next to my bed for literally years now and this was my start. Bloody London didn't peak my interest from the beginning, but it got better as I got further into the story. 

Artie Cohen is an ex New York cop and current private eye. He drinks a little, smokes a lot and runs on a steady diet of cynicism. Artie doesn't want any trouble, but when Tommy Pascoe, a rich New York socialite and philanthropist, is murdered Artie's on the case. Russian's are clearly involved and this former Soviet citizen unintentionally gets mixed up with the wrong group of thugs as old world money, new world ambition and the veneer of philanthropy collide.

It definitely took me awhile to get into this book. I think part of the problem was that this was the third book in the series; characters had already been established and I had no idea what was going on. There was a lot of back story that I just wasn't aware of. That having been said this was a pretty good noir-ish crime story. 

Nadelson keeps the pace snappy and the dialogue quick, although in typical noir style the character tends to have fairly drawn out internal monologues. The tone is dark, the plot filled with intrigue. Here's the thing, it was just a bit too cynical for my taste. I don't think that has anything to do with the author; it's my issue. It was just very, the rich are terrible,the poor are terrible, the middle class is bored and the world might as drown. 

I also had some issues following the plot. There's a huge cast of characters with a rich history, each character has a rich back story and while those are all positives; I just couldn't keep up. Combined with the previously mentioned snappy pace I was lost at parts. I think I finally pieced things together at the end and it would probably be a lot easier to follow if you've read the first two books. 

I liked the book, I did. It was well written and paced. The plot was interesting with conspiracy following conspiracy. I would read another Nadelson book and although I'm not in a huge rush, I might pick up the first book in the series if I come across it.