Product Description

... And just who is Leo Waterman?

A soft-hearted sleuth with a rebellious streak left over from the '60s, Leo Waterman seems to get entangled in, every oddball situation from Seattle to Puget Sound. So when he's hired to locate Caroline Nobel, an errant mob heiress with an environmentalist's heart, Leo goes with the flow -- leaving behind the familiar sights of Pioneer Square to follow the landscape-loving activist into the rain-soaked Washington woods. But Caroline's conscientious cohorts are dragging her deeper into the murky waters of environmental sabotage. And her hotheaded enthusiasm can't be cooled, even after two people are brutally murdered. Caroline's onto something extremely toxic. And unless Waterman can clear the air, her deadly dedication could poison him as well.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #475365 in Books
• Published on: 1996-10-01
• Released on: 1996-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.com Review
Just out in paperback, Ford's jaunty first mystery introduces a Seattle sleuth called Leo Waterman -- the rebellious scion of a powerful family who carries the spirit of the '60s around with him like dirty laundry. When an old mobster friend of his father hires him to look for his missing granddaughter, Leo recruits a clutch of homeless people to help in the search. The same lively writing and exciting plotting also add zest to Ford's second Waterman story, Cast in Stone.

From Publishers Weekly
Debut entry in the Leo Waterman series, starring a Seattle-based private eye with an off-beat sense of humor.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
First novelist Ford peoples his little world with an unrepresentative bunch of drunks, punks, and flower-child throwbacks. Veteran private eye Leo Waterman uses the "services" of four alcoholics in staking out an aging gangster's wayward daughter, while Leo himself follows her elusive boyfriend. Leo knows he's on to something bad, though, when someone torches the guy's shack, wires Leo's car, and tortures one of the drunks. A tightly constructed plot, realistic Seattle surroundings, and effortless prose complement an unorthodox protagonist. Recommended.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

What a hoot! :D
I realize this is more of a "me-too" review than any particularly earthshattering revelation about the plot or the author, but as I sit here laughing just thinking about the story, all I can say is "me too"! From Ford's name to his characters (and you'll HAVE to smile when you discover Wanda!), his books are just FUN -- yes, drama, intrigue, suspense, but there's this undercurrent of a man who most of us probably would love to be at least at some point in our lives. In any case, while it's not a great masterstroke of literature, if you're looking for some entertainment for your reading time and money, pick up Wanda. You won't be sorry! :D

Moderately Amusing
This was a moderately amusing first novel by G.M. Ford. It was entertaining and fast paced, but it felt a little too much like a "made for TV" movie. There are some funny scenes, but I thought a lot of it was just silly.

You will get a pretty good sense of Seattle and suburbs, and Waterman is an interesting PI. But there isn't enough here to have me rush out and get the next in the series. There is too much better stuff out there. I recommend this only if you are an avid reader of the "hard-boiled PI" genre.

A fun quick read
A wisecracking P.I. is hired by a Mafia don to ride herd on his beautiful nymphomaniac niece (or great niece) who is mixed up with a not so swift bunch of environmental terrorists. Murders by unknown persons occur. What's not to like about this plot line. The writing has an upbeat humorous tone. When describing the possibility of a drive-by shootin in a wealthy neighborhood, Waterman says "The only way there could be a drive by shooing in that neighborhood is if they used a Mercedes seeking cruise missle." On the constant rain in Seattle-"living in Seattle is like being married to a beautiful woman who is always sick.

Although tempted by two beautiful women who propostion him, the hero retains his virtue. (Note to author:this is fiction you will not get an STD.) The description of the environmental convention is humorous-one bumper sticker-"Pregnancy is a sexually transmitted disease."

Waterman uses a group of former upper middle class now alcoholics to do his surveillance. Kind of the Baker Street irregulars but older and drunker. About the fifth time he has a problem with their drinking on the job I wanted to scream-Duh-what do you expect when you hire boozers. However, all in all, a fun read.