Review: Great mystery from a previously unread author.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 3, 2014
Prior to a recent post of Paul D Brazil regarding this book by the author, Andrew Peters I had been unaware of either. Intrigued by Brazil’s praise for both, I contacted Mr Peters and he obligingly sent me a copy of his latest offering Subtraction.Well how did we get on? I enjoyed it and found it well-written with an easy style of narrative that kept me turning the pages. Our main character, Mark Paris AKA The Professor was likeable and believable and his back story portrayed him as a sympathetic character to this reader at least.Paris is a part-time gambler and small-time fixer in sixties Las Vegas.  An associate calls him for help afterwaking up next to a dead hooker and Paris obliges, though it is obvious that all he’s done is bought his friend some time. Blackmail and an escalation are around the corner.Next to come calling on the Professor is the sister-in-law of his girlfriend. She’s a Vegas madam whose string of girls are being targeted for attack by a couple of vicious thugs. Paris agrees to look into the matter and soon his involvement in both cases has him in jeopardy.  Our Prof has to manage the attentions of the LVPD as well as a psychopath before he fully understands his involvement. Regrettably for Paris, he has to turn back to his estranged family to help him fix the mess.Overall Subtraction was an interesting book with a satisfying resolution. Peters sucked me into 60’s Vegas.His depiction of the bars and restaurants, cabaret acts and casinos was the second best thing about the book, after the Professor himself.I possibly didn't enjoy it quite as much as Paul, but it was off-beat and quirky enough for me to want to read more from Peters at a later date.4 from 5Thanks to Andrew Peters for my copy.