Genre: Novel
Grade: A-
Notable People: David Handler
Title: Phantom Angel
Review: Handler is a pretty funny mystery writer in the Elmore Leonard tradition. I’ve read a bunch of his work in a series he does set on Cape Cod (Trooper Des Mitri) , but this is a new one featuring boy-wonder PI Benji Golden, heir to his late fathers’ detective agency (Golden Detectives!). Benji’ s mother, who now runs the agency, is a former Times Square pole dancer and he is surrounded by equally luminous characters. Benji looks 16 and tries to affect his best Sam Spade as pursues murder and mayhem in the midst of the Broadway theater scene. Handler is actually quite q good writer and the stories are very intriguing –mixing in real known people along with his creations. This a quick and satisfying summer read.