It Was A Very Bad Year (Rat Pack Mysteries)
Eddie Gianelli, Vegas pit boss and unofficial fixer for the Rat Pack, rises to the call when Joey Bishop’s TV wife, Abby Dalton, needs help with a blackmailer. That’s easy peasy for a man of Eddie’s unconventional talents, but the case leads him into a very different kettle of fish: the kidnapping of Frank Sinatra’s son. Then there’s the little matter of the murder of a Vegas lowlife, who was in the employ of Dalton’s blackmailer. Unfortunately, the cops like Eddie for that one. Randisi’s series is never less than entertaining—Eddie and his tough-guy pal Jerry Epstein are a fine pair of Everymen cavorting with the stars, and the Rat Packers are typically portrayed with full-bodied gusto. This time, though, Randisi paints himself into a bit of a corner: Bishop is the least interesting Rat Packer; Dalton is a grade-D celeb; and the Sinatra kidnapping story doesn’t give Frank much to do except fret. Still, Randisi’s take on Vegas in its prime is always a treat, and the light, breezy style delivers its own brand of Nelson Riddle, toe-tapping pleasure. --Bill Ott