Greasing the Piñata

“Maleeny smoothly mixes wry humor and a serious plot without sacrificing either…An appealing hero, well-crafted villains, snappy dialogue and an energetic plot show that Maleeny…is a definite contender in the private detective subgenre.”

“Armando Durán’s powerful characterizations of sardonic PI Cape Weathers and his associate, Sally Mei, are believable and compelling…Durán depicts Dobbins’ estranged daughter, who hires Weathers, with bittersweet sensitivity. With sardonic humor he portrays the discovery of two mutilated bodies in the alligator pond of a Puerto Vallarta golf course…Exceptionally well done.”

“A cracking good mystery definitely not for the faint of heart but just right for readers who like a gritty crime novel with a labyrinth of plot twists.”

“Duran’s reading is outstanding—keeping pace with the fast-moving, action-packed plot. His accent for all the Mexican characters is genuine and helps establish the locale as the action switches back and forth from Mexico to San Francisco. His voice captures all the fear that Cape feels when he is kidnapped and sees his death as imminent…School librarians should be forewarned that descriptions of the methods used by the villain in eliminating the opposition are quite explicit and gruesome.”