#1500. White Out by Dana King

Back in Penn’s River, PA. On the Appalachian side of Pittsburgh. PRPD has their share of crap to clean up and keep in line with Chief Sullivan (Sully) on the downhill slide to retirement. But he has a good, if kinda small, force. Mainly Detective Benjamin (‘Doc’ to everyone but a couple family members) Dougherty as a voice of reason in the House (the station) and on the street. Biggest employer in Penn’s River is the Casino that is set to host a $1 million poker tournament this coming Sunday.

Late February Monday in Penn’s River. Snowing, but nothing unusual or too bad. Trevor Boston is somewhat new to the force. While on his rounds about town, he takes a call about a dust-up at Fat Jimmies bar. Upon arrival, he finds the tail end of a fight at the pool table. Boston starts in taking statements. When he gets to Richard Johnson, one of the combatants, Boston quickly learns that Johnson doesn’t play well with Blacks. Turns out he’s a card-carrying member of Potentia Albus – a white supremacy outfit mostly headquartered in western PA. And he’s not going to allow Boston to touch him much less make an arrest.

Questions turn to raised voices turn to Johnson slapping Boston and running out the front door. Boston pursues. Pulls his sidearm as he carefully moves through the snowfall and trash. As he rounds a corner to the back of the bar, Johnson jumps out from behind a dumpster and Boston puts three bullets into him. Despite his best efforts at some first aid, Johnson dies is the debris-ridden slush behind the bar.

Sully sends Doc and other cops to the bar. Boston is of little help; too stunned at how things evolved so quickly. SOP for an officer-involved shooting is to place Boston on suspension, take his badge and gun, and call the PA state police to come in to do the IAB job that small-ish departments Penn’s River can’t do.

The word gets out. Fast. Black cop killed a white citizen. The spokesmen for Potentia Albus call in the true believers to attend Johnson’s funeral set for the coming Sunday and about 500 are expected. Sully knows he must get his force ready. Cancels all leave. Frees up overtime money. Doc is the boots-on-the-street commander who’s running logistics moving law enforcement units and personnel around town like pieces on a chessboard to keep brush fires from becoming a full blown nightmare. His army experience from tours to Afghanistan and Iraq come in handy.

And despite most all resources being devoted to the potential for a race riot, there still remains the usual Penn’s River issues like domestic calls, fights over a basketball game, Doc’s aging parents . . . and that damned poker tournament . . . all coming together right when mother nature decides that a foot or more fresh snow might be an appropriate accompaniment to the weekend's crowded calendar.

White Out in Dana King’s 8^th Penn’s River crime novel, this being the 3^rd that we’ve reviewed. Small-ish town police procedural told in a fine, straight forward, and colorful narrative. Dialogue is on point. Descriptive prose takes you right in the living rooms and the jail within the House. King has been nominated for a Shamus Award on multiple occasions. I’ve been remiss in waiting so long since my last visit to Penn’s River. Good stuff. Realistic small town police procedural. Think you’ll like it.

Published 26 July 2022. First learned about King from Charlie Stella, an MRB power rotation author. When Charlie speaks . . . ECD listens. He hasn’t steered us wrong yet.   

 

East Coast Don

 

Grind Joint by Dana King

An empty Penns River, PA strip mall, once anchored by Penny’s and Monkey Ward, is being converted into a casino.; a grind joint of slots and drinks for this down and out town. Supposed to bring lots of new jobs to a dying manufacturing city just outside the Pittsburgh sprawl – and maybe pull some customers from the downtown’s bigger, full-service casino. A week before the opening, the body of a low rent drug dealer is dumped on the casino’s front steps. Looks like someone is sending a message about this new venture.

Ben Dougherty (pronounced DOCK-er-dee, aka Doc; King thankfully offers a pronunciation guide to the western PA ethnic names), a Penns River native, ex-army, and now detective draws the case right as his uncle/chief goes down with a heart attack. The interim is damn sure that Mike Mannarino, local car dealer/regional crime boss is responsible and pushes Doc to arrest Mannarino.

Now Mannarino may well be responsible for the kid’s death. Seems the kid ran some of Marrarino’s drug business, but decided to go out a bit on his own and got some product from a growing Russian presence in the area, prompting Mannarino to send a message.  So not only are the police after Mannarino, so are the Russians for having stepped in their growing business.

And a friend of the vic gets a hard ass to look into a way to get back at Mannarino for having his friend killed. Now Mannarino may be mob connected, but at least his business is predictable and he keeps the nonsense in Penns River to a minimum, so there is an uneasy alliance between some of the cops and Mannario’s crew. The Russians, however, are crazy and violent, so Doc is more focused on the Russian’s and makes some overtures to Mannarino to help run them out of business.

Grind Joint is not available until November 2013. Stark Publishing sent the book to me and the introduction is by MRB friend Charlie Stella, so I’m guessing Stella was behind this freebie (Thnx to the Knuckmeister). King offers up a winning threesome: likable good guys/nasty bad guys, a very cleverly developed plot, and staccato, in-your-face dialogue. I liked Doc and was happy to see he is in a couple other books by King. Doc is awkward with the ladies, but equal parts vicious/manipulative with the bad guys.  Those who make the effort to locate Grind Joint will be rewarded with a story that's equal parts George Higgins, Elmore Leonard, Charlie Stella and I see a little Ken Bruen as a topping. Sweet company. King has 3 other books, all published since 2011.

Can't speak for you all, but I know I’m in.

East Coast Don