Review: DRINK THE TEA (Minotaur Books 2010)Author: Thomas Kaufman
Willis Gidney is a man who started life off on the wrong foot. He was raised in the Washington, D.C. area – the product of years in foster homes and detention centers, as well as the subject of juvenile proceedings as an "at risk" youth. (Unsure of his real identity, he acquired his name from two cops who arrested him.) When the story starts, Gidney is an adult and a private eye, who walks the mean streets where he once ran.
Gidney is hired by jazz musician Steps Jackson to find his missing daughter. Although the daughter has been missing for 25 years, making for a pretty cold trail, Steps is one of Gidney's closest friends, so he feels compelled to take the case.
Gidney manages to track down various people who know the daughter. The investigation takes him all over D.C., which is described with just enough detail to make you feel you're there.
The more Gidney investigates, the deeper he gets in over his head. Little does he know he's dealing with powers much higher than he's ever handled. The dangers become more evident as the story progresses and people start dying.
Gidney is a welcome departure from the usual private eye protagonist, in that he comes from such a poor background. The story is told from an ever-so-slightly jaded point of view, as a result. And the book delves into Gidney's background in enough detail and with enough suspense about his past to keep readers turning the pages to learn more. And Kaufman has a gift for telling Gidney's backstory without bringing the main narrative to a screeching halt.
Kaufman does follow the hardboiled tradition of making Gidney a wise-cracking detective. The narrative is laden with Gidney's clever, sardonic views, which make him even more likable. Gidney's friends also make a compelling cast of characters.
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