The Final Country
It's been too long since James Crumley's lastMilo Milodragovitchadventure, but the wait was worth it.The Final Countryis a fully  satisfying read with plenty of action, even more sex, and superb  characterization."A chase after money and revenge had brought me to Texas, and a woman had kept  me here," Milo explains. But trying to salvage a love affair, keep his PI  business going, and run a tavern (whose real business is laundering drug money)   hasn't kept trouble from following Milo--or maybe it's the other way around.  When a man kills a drug dealer right in front of him, Milo can't help but track  the shooter down, if only to keep the Texas cops from railroading him into the  death chamber. Soon one beautiful woman frames Milo for the murder of a well- connected Texan, and another one with ties to both killings disappears, setting  up the intricately plotted action of this fast-paced thriller.Crumley's narrative gifts and poetic talents set this crazy-funny mystery apart.  Milo is a consistently interesting protagonist, especially here, as Crumley  depicts him in the fullness of middle age, a hard-boiled, bruised, and battered  dick who, despite all evidence to the contrary, still believes in the redemptive  powers of love--not to mention liquor, cocaine, and sex. Texas may not be Milo's  natural habitat, but it's a big enough backdrop for his unique talents, and for  Crumley's, too.--Jane Adams--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.