Fade Route (Burnside) by David Chill

I love the writing of Les Roberts. David Chill is influenced by his writing. So, it should be a no-brainer that I like David's work. I already enjoyed his first novel and so was pretty sure I was going to like the second his his Burnside series.

When a politician involved with charity work for the homeless is killed ex-football player and ex-cop Burnside, now a PI, investigates. What follows is a pretty solid murder mystery with a lot of suspects, reveals and some action. I liked the fact some social commentary was added (something a PI novel lends itself to very well) and liked the fictional Bay City that was a nice nod to Raymond Chandler.

The Burnside series might not be the most ground-breaking PI series, but it IS a solid one. Tight writing, good characterization and a good mystery.