Last Call at the Esposito

By Richard J. Cass

Elder Darrow, Beantown’s favorite bar owner and amateur sleuth, returns in “an immersive and satisfying addition to the category of Boston crime fiction” (Kirkus Reviews).

When a burial detail to the paupers’ grave on Boston’s Rinker Island comes up with one extra coffin, homicide detective Dan Burton is called in to take the case. The murdered man is a neighborhood activist against the effort of rich and powerful interests to bring the Olympic Games to Boston. 

At the same time, Donald Maldonado, cousin of the infamous Icky Ricky Maldonado, tries to create a place for himself in the Boston underworld, taking over his cousin’s criminal activities. He jostles with one of Burton’s childhood friends for a piece of the illegitimate prospects of the Games coming to town: construction contracts, union connections, and so on. Complicating matters is that Esposito owner Elder Darrow’s thieving girlfriend has stolen something of Maldonado’s and he wants it back. Badly enough to kill anyone in the way.

Real estate speculators offer to buy the Esposito and turn the block into a velodrome for the proposed Games. Elder is tempted, unsure that he wants to continue in the bar business. The confusion turns the world around Mercy Street into an uproar.
 
Praise for Richard Cass and the Elder Darrow Mysteries
“Richard Cass writes the kind of mysteries I first fell in love with—clever, twisty, and brimming with characters as colorful as they are well-drawn.”—Chris Holm, Anthony Award-winning author of Michael Hendricks Novels

“Cass’s version of noir Boston is dark and beautiful as a back alley after a morning rain.”—Gerry Boyle, author of the Jack McMorrow Mysteries

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781948338967

Reviews for Last Call at the Esposito

[lilyroseshadowlyn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The powerful elite versus the everyday person are at the center of this thriller. The rich and powerful want to bring the Olympics to Boston, but the poorer locals don't want to be displaced and have their lives completely disrupted for an event that won't bring them much benefit. There was quite a bit of fluff in the story, which at times bogged down the plot. Interesting premise, but not as well executed as I was hoping.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Murder, politicians, gangsters, and homicide all tied together by a former alcoholic running a bar, a scared thief, and a dysfunctional homicide detective. Lots of action. A noir piece with a few twists. Don't read it all in one day.I requested and received a free ebook copy from Encircle Publications LLC via NetGalley.