Point of Darkness, by Mike Phillips

Retrieved from: LPLY
0312118759, 1994
Suggested by: The List
My Ratings: 7 Merit, 8 Interest, 8 Fun

This is another in the series about Sam Dean, a native of the Caribbean who now lives in London. He has been asked by the wife of a childhood friend, now dying, to find their daughter in New York. She hasn't responded to letters or phone calls about her father's condition.

This relatively simple setup leads Sam into fraud, corruption, noisy Caribbean neighborhoods in the heart of New York, and some near-death experiences. It also leads him to Scottsdale, Arizona, which led to the unintentional humor in the description of Scottsdale as a sleepy, slow town. Uh, yeah. Times change.

The main thrust of the plot, however, involves Mary--the daughter--being caught up in the American Dream of improving her lot. Unfortunately, this involves pornography, the Mob, African graft, and Sam's ability to have sex in the most bizarre situations imaginable.

The story was loose, the plot a little limp, but the characterizations were as fun to read as usual. Sam's on-again-off-again photographer friend Sophia is a major part of this story. That's a good thing; she is an unlikely foil for Sam, but a character carefully drawn and exciting to read about. But, overall, Sam needs to go back to London and solve crimes there; he does better on his own turf.