The Ragged End of Nowhere: A Novel

From Publishers Weekly Winner of the second Tony Hillerman Prize, Chaney's promising debut is set in sometimes glitzy, often tawdry Las Vegas far removed from Hillerman's New Mexico.Bodo Hagen is CIA, but his return to Las Vegas after 10 years is entirely personal. Bodo's brother, Ronnie, was shot to death at Hoover Dam just days after Ronnie came back to Vegas from a stint with the French Foreign Legion. As Bodo retraces his brother's steps, he gets reacquainted with a slew of rough characters from his past, including John McGrath, the cop investigating Ronnie's killing; Marty Ray, owner of a small casino called Diamond Jim's; and an old girlfriend, Maxine Peach. Bodo learns that Ronnie was trying to fence a rare artifact with a strange past that others are willing to buy or kill for. While the plot isn't terribly suspenseful, Chaney has a knack for deft characterization, and uses Ronnie's French Foreign Legion connection to great effect. The ambiguous ending suggests a sequel. (Nov.)

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