In his third case (after Half the Truth, 1996), Evanston, Ill., piano-playing PI Mal Foley is urged by his patron, whom he has nicknamed "the Lady," to look into a case of child molestation. Foley remembers the accused, Lambert Fleming, from 20 years earlier on a basketball court when Lammy had been humiliated by his peers and his eyes had appealed to Foley for help. To make up for turning his back then, Foley agrees to help him now. But finding out who molested the little girl turns out to be a harder and more dangerous task than he anticipated. First, the girl's father won't allow her to be interviewed; then Lammy's dog is castrated and he himself is beaten. The investigation goes from bad to worse as Foley discovers the little girl is linked to a powerful crime family. Not until the girl's grandmother agrees to step in to help her grandchild does Foley's job take a turn for the better. An extended and twisting climax stretches credibility, but otherwise Walker sets questions of morality in a believable context.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Chicago private investigator Malachy Foley approaches life as though he were treading water. Though he won't help himself out of his malaise, he will help a friend--or even a high-school classmate, Lambert "Lammy" Fleming, who's accused of molesting a neighborhood teenage girl. The mildly retarded Lammy is unable to defend himself--not good when the girl's dad is a low-rung mobster and her uncle is the local godfather. Foley figures Uncle Dominic is the guy with the taste for young girls, but to prove it, he must buck both the cops and the Mob. Also impeding Foley is an ongoing investigation that may involve an insider placed within the family as a snitch. This third Mal Foley case is a solid effort distinguished by the realistically portrayed relationship that develops between Foley and Lammy. The frustrations and rewards of coping with a handicapped individual force Foley to look outside himself for a change, and the fresh view invigorates him emotionally. A very satisfying read. Wes Lukowsky
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