Scarlet Fever (A Johnny Delarosa Thriller Book 1) by David Stever – Review by Erin Wolf

Scarlet Fever: A Crime Thriller by David Stever
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I give Scarlet Fever: A Crime Thriller by David Stever, 5 stars.

Private eye Johnny is floored when his drop-dead gorgeous client walks in. She then gives him a hefty retainer and asks him to find money that was owed to her mother. Of course, it’s not that simple. Turns out this is missing mob money from 30 years ago. Now he has to track down long retired mob guys and runs into trouble along the way. He’s not the only one looking and the others will do anything to get the dough. Will he be able to find it? At what cost?

Ok, first off let me say that I’m a huge fan of the old noir detectives. In fact, I’m listening to a Philip Marlowe radio show as I write this. This book more than met my expectations. It reminds you of the old detectives, but in the modern setting. Having Johnny and his buddies a little older is great too. They are seasoned, have learned from their experiences. And of course there’s the bombshell client. Throw in the mob and you have a complete package. The story is so good and gripping. I could not book the book down. Not to mention the many twists and turns a good detective story should have. The secondary characters are the cherry on top of this sundae. I cannot wait to see them all in the next book. I have a new favorite author thanks to this book!

If you like hard-boiled detective stories with an exceptional story and great characters, this book is for you.

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