Product Description

In the wild days of Leo Waterman's youth, Henry "Heck" Sundstrom was a god. But things haven't been going great lately for the p.i.'s burly ex-hero. First came the honeymoon boating accident that killed Heck's son and new daughter-in-law, Allison. And now the big man himself is dying--struck down by a runaway truck at an ungodly hour in a section of Seattle where no decent citizen should be caught dead.

But Waterman's not so sure Allison went down with the ship. And if his motley, aging legmen, "the Boys," can gather the facts, perhaps he can prove it--following the lead to the Midwest and a missing million dollars. . .and maybe to a "black widow" who may be less "late" and more lethal than anyone ever suspected.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #328627 in Books
• Published on: 1997-03-01
• Released on: 1997-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 304 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780380727629
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Confirming the bright promise of Who in Hell Is Wanda Fuca?, Ford proves he's no one-book author with the second case for extremely likable, wisecracking Seattle PI Leo Waterman. A boating mentor from Waterman's youth, Heck Sundstrom, is critically injured in a traffic accident. What was he doing on a seedy downtown block after midnight? The accident follows the death of the Sundstrom's son and his new daughter-in-law, Allison, in a boat explosion. Waterman soon finds loose ends: Allison may not have been what she claimed. For help, Waterman calls on "the Boys," usually drunk old friends who know their way around Seattle's seamier precincts. Carl Craddock, a wheelchair-using surveillance expert with a foul mouth and caustic sense of humor, pitches in. Allison's trail of trouble leads the men across Washington State to Wisconsin and beyond. A helpless old lady, a small-town police chief and the minister of a Seattle megachurch were all involved with the enigmatic woman. But if Allison is alive and murdering, who went down with the Sundstrom boat? Ford keeps the menace growing, while his large cast of colorful characters supplies laughs in some of the best dialogue around.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA. Written like a classic 1930's hard-boiled detective novel, Cast in Stone starts with a bang and keeps going from there. After 23 years, Marge, the love of detective Leo Waterman's life, needs his help. Her husband, Heck, an ex-friend of Leo's, is dying in a Seattle hospital after a hit-and-run accident. It is with great reluctance that Leo even considers getting involved as Marge rejected him and married his best friend, thus ruining that friendship and his life. Marge also wants Leo to help her uncover the mysterious circumstances of the death of her son and his fiancee in a boating accident. Heck was convinced that the "accident" was no accident and had set out to do his own investigation. Calling in some markers owed from old friends, Leo unravels the case piece by piece. In the course of his investigation, he finds decades-old murders and "suicides," and uncovers a small town's guilty secrets. Ford does an excellent job of tying together all of the various threads of this case. YAs will get a kick out of Leo Waterman and his sidekicks.?Susan B. McFaden, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Who in the Hell Is Wanda Fuca?, Ford's first novel, which featured Seattle private investigator Leo Waterman, attracted readers with its unique title. His second novel relies upon series protagonist Leo and his unconventional habit of employing several homeless alcoholics to do his legwork. Leo investigates a suspicious boat explosion that kills his wealthy client's son and the son's new wife. But a million dollars and the wife's remains are missing. The tough, honest, and compassionate Leo uses his considerable resources to get to the truth. A solid, worthy sequel.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

G.M. Ford does it again
G.M. Ford's refreshingly average-joe P.I. Leo Waterman returns. Leo's old friend Heck Sundstrom finds out that married life can, indeed, be murder when he is killed while investigating the death of his son and new daughter-in-law. Heck's widow hires Leo to find out why Heck was convinced Allison Sundstrom didn't go "down with the ship" when she and Heck's son are supposedly killed on their honeymoon cruise.

A twisted trail of lies, deception, and broken lives leads all the way from Seattle to Wisconsin and back, with an ending that will catch the reader off-guard.

With a return of "the Boys," a group of aging winos that serve as Leo's eyes and ears on the street, Leo does his best to make sense out of a friend's death. Ford's flowing writing style, refreshing characters, and occasional tongue-in-cheekiness makes this another enjoyable read from one of the best new writers in this field.

(Note, if you missed the first Leo Waterman mystery, "Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca?" go back and read it too. You're missing a great time if you don't.) The only thing I didn't like about this book was the unusual cut-out on the paperback-version's cover that sometimes annoyed me when reading. But between the covers is priceless entertainment.

A Private Eye Gem
Having read, (and enjoyed), this author's later Frank Corso books, I'm now reading the earlier Leo Waterman series. This is the second in the series tracking the adventures of a Seattle based PI and what a pleasant surprise. The story centers around the mysterious death at sea of a young man and his new wife, (Leo's good friend's son and daughter-in-law), and Leo's investigation to get to the bottom of what happened. The twists and turns of this tale are expertly handled with a unique, (and endearing), cast of characters. The story never flags and Leo's off beat sense of humor kept this reader turning the pages as fast as I could with a healthy number of chuckles and smirks. This is a great book.

A Wonderful Suspense-Full Witty Private Eye Novel
This is as good or better than the old Travis McGee stories by John MacDonald. Great plot, wonderful characters, crackling dialogue...author Ford is a superior talent. When someone this good writes a novel, their work almost defies description because the result is like magic. You are transported, informed, entranced, amused, and entertained. Try Ford's series of Leo Waterman, Private Eye, novels. You'll be glad you did. Also... please ignore the luke warm endorsements on the back covers of his books. They don't do the author justice; he is BETTER than they say.