PAID IN SPADES
THE THRILLING FIFTH TITLE IN THE PAT GALLEGHER MYSTERY SERIES!
Only two weeks after a violent gunfight in the alley behind Holliday's in New Orleans' French Quarter, slacker jazz cornetist and knight errant Pat Gallegher finds himself saddled with two missing person cases. A man to whom he owes an unpayable debt has disappeared after exacting a promise that Gallegher would find him. Gallegher's girlfriend, Merlie Comineau, has asked him to find the missing father of a young girl who needs a knee operation.
What begins as a routine investigation throws Gallegher and his new musical partner Chick Kasay in the path of Brazilian smugglers, corporate fraud, trading in endangered species, bumbling private investigators, and a oligarchic billionaire who believes everything has a price--including murder.
Pat Gallegher tales have been nominated for the PWA Shamus Award and SMFS Derringer Award, and have won the ITW Thriller Award. Don't miss the latest installment in this New Orleans crime saga!
“Pat Gallegher is one of the richest characters in crime fiction—a wreck and a treasure all at once—and PAID IN SPADES is a can’t miss for devoted fans and new ones alike. Richard Helms captures the rich sleaziness of pre-Katrina New Orleans with great flair. Turn up the jazz, make yourself a cold drink, and enjoy this one.”
– Brad Parks, Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Award-winning author of CLOSER THAN YOU KNOW
"A unique blend of history, jazz, food, and crime. Richard Helms takes a new and talented look at the temptations and crimes of America's Big Easy in PAID IN SPADES. Pat Gallegher, a haunted man who knows the streets of New Orleans, isn't afraid to give out rough justice. Highly recommended!"
-Brendan Dubois, three-time Shamus Award winner and James Patterson collaborator.
REVIEWS FOR PREVIOUS PAT GALLEGHER NOVELS!
"For fans of noir mysteries, JOKER POKER offers a hearty concoction of violence, intrigue, sex, and even a little articulate humor!"
- The Library Journal
"Richard Helms can spin a tale, and he's created some truly intriguing supporting characters in JOKER POKER, well worth a return visit!"
- Thrilling Detective
"The seminary-trained Irish musician-cum-profiler Pat Gallegher steps out of retirement to smartly solve his third mystery in Richard Helms' tale of serial murder, JUICY WATUSI. The plot is solid, traditional hardboiled fare, and even better is the middle-aged investigator's snappy observations about the French Quarter's characters."
- Publishers Weekly
WET DEBT is fast-paced and well-written with the gritty kind of straight-up dialogue one expects in noir detective fiction. Readers will notice echoes of Hammett here! There's no lack of mystery and action. For readers of the hardboiled genre, I recommend Pat Gallegher and WET DEBT!"
- Mystery Scene Magazine
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