The Hard Bounce (Boo Malone) by Todd Robinson

It's like Todd Robinson (creator of Thug Lit) asked me what my favorite PI novel would look like before he wrote this novel. Yeah, I liked it that much.
Orphans Boo Malone and Junior are bouncers in a punkrock bar / shack called The Cellar. When they are hired by a powerful man to track down his missing daughter they try to upgrade to private eye work. The daughter has gotten involved with some dangerous and perverted people however... And then there's that link with an organized crime figure...
Boo is a great character, a bit of a mix between Spenser, Burke and the bouncer at your favorite bar. I loved his wisecracks, his tough attittude and his soft heart. I loved the fact he really wasn't used to seeing women naked without tattoos. I loved that he made Spenser and Needle Magazine references. I loved the fact the plot was very, very dark but still the Boo's lines had me laugh out loud sometimes.
What I loved most, however, was the fact this is a great new take on the genre. Boo and Junior are tough guys with tattoos, not old ex-cops who listen to jazz. They are still the kind of knight-errants that make the genre great though.
Fantastic novel, a definite contender for 2013's Favorite Sons in the category Best Debut or Best New PI. I just hope Boo will return.