Killer Swell (Noah Braddock) by Jeff Shelby

As the writer of a younger PI named Noah I was pretty interested in this novel from the start. In many ways it doesn't dissapoint. It seems to do what I set out to do with my Noah Milano stories: entertaining PI-fans with a fresh protagonist with some action, some laughs and some soul-searching without going over the top.
Surfer Noah Braddock is hired by the mother of an old flame who is missing. As often is the case with missin person cases in which PI's get involved she turns up dead. In tracking down her killer Noah clashes with a gangster boss leading to some violent shoot-outs. Luckily he has a good looking female cop and a somewhat psychotic sidekick to help him out.
Yes, it's not the most original novel you're going to read but I found it very entertaining. I had some minor gripes, like exactly how did the sidekick character Carter become so dangerous and shady and the very brief almost Deux Ex Machine appearance of two twin psycho sidekicks. Or the way Noah just felled 'compelled' to open up a parked car to coincedentally discover a dead body.
Still, Noah Braddock is up there as a Favorite Son of Spade because I'm so eager to read his next adventure.