Detective Frank Delsa, a cool dude in the Detroit policing professions, gets involved in a double murder when 84-year old, retired lawyer Tony Paradiso, aka, Mr. Paradise, is shot to death along with his companion, Chloe, caught sitting on his lap at the time. As Frank pursues the oddball case, emotional complications arise from the fact that he can't stop thinking about Chloe's roommate Kelly, a model, just about the most beautiful woman who ever gave him a tumble, and a key witness in the investigation.

Adding to the fascination, Montez Taylor, Mr. Paradise's right hand man, puts the arm on Kelly to pretend she's Chloe so he can have access to the contents of a safety deposit box in Chloe's name. Frank's case fills up with two lunatic hit men with a string of unsolved crimes in their wake, the unscrupulous lawyer who is making a cottage industry out of contract killings, 3-J, aka, Jerome, Frank's Confidential Informant, other criminal residue and enough firepower to fuel doubts about bringing the case to a survivable conclusion.

Elmore Leonard's speech and story telling rhythms are all his own -- momentarily confusing at times -- but coming out with a sure fire grip on your attentions and love of a mystery. He doesn't slack the human side, descriptively at home with pathetic sociopaths and amorous suspects. This writer of "Tishomingo Blues" and the famed "Get Shorty" will capture you again with this delectably wry mystery that never lets go of a humorously ironic view of humanity casually involved in life and death issues.

And, all of it behind such a respectful title.