Private Heat
 Robert Bailey
 (Sr. Staff Reviewer - D. H. BROWN)
 2002 M. Evans & Co., Inc
  ISBN: 0871319705


Art Hardin is a middle-aged gumshoe & father. He has a wife, three sons, a dog & an old Olds sedan. When he retired from working as a counter-intelligence officer for the government, he decided to become a private eye & now enjoys the safe cases of fraudulent insurance claims or snapping pictures of cheating spouses.

Then high-priced attorney Martin Van Pelham hires Art Hardin to make sure his niece, who is in deep trouble & has a lousy temper, stays alive long enough to pay for her sins. It doesn't help that part of her trouble is an out-of-control husband who happens to be a bad cop, who is in league with a troop of equally crooked “serve & protect” gents.

Sr. Staff Review D. H. BROWN writes:

Once in a while, a neat new gumshoe comes along in the world of Mystery Writing, & Art Hardin fills the bill!

This guy blends into a crowd, allows trouble to follow him around like a cloud, & finds himself wrapped up in a case which he tracks with the doggedness of a bloodhound.

I guess what I really like about Art Hardin is his & his family's attitude about trouble. You don't go looking for it, but if you find it, you take care of it yourself; & as a PI he doesn't allow himself to be intimidated by anything or anyone, especially cops.

His wife Wendy, who is a bounty hunter, is quite comfortable sitting at her typewriter with a Colt .45 lying next to her, & none of their kids are shy about picking up a .12 gauge when trouble comes knocking at their door.

Just as I've been a great fan of Robert B. Parker & his Spenser series, I believe that Robert Bailey has lit on a great formula in this first novel, Private Heat, & I am definitely looking forward to his next Art Hardin Mystery.

If you're looking for a great mystery read to bring home like a member of the family, I highly recommend Private Heat. & when you open it to start, be prepared to have everything else go on hold, because you won't be able to put it down.
(01/26/03)

D. H. BROWN
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Staff Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
D. H. BROWN is the author of the critically acclaimed HONOR DUE and the Citizens Warrior Series. The son of missionary parents and with the help his Uncle Sam, he has touched base in more than 40 countries.  In 1986 he produced the independent children's film Lessie's Rainbow.  During the late 80s and early 90s, he wrote the book Common Sense and delivered the seminars of the same name for the Community Action Network of Seattle (CAN).  While doing his early Vietnam recovery work, he counseled Veterans and spoke widely to men's groups in Washington state, and was a founder of The Lodge of the Wolf.

D. H. BROWN has worked as a Logistics and Weapons Specialist in Viet Nam; day laborer; Director of Security; Armored Car Driver; Police Officer; Professional Hunting Guide; Trapper; Dog Sledder; Homesteader; Truck Driver; General Contractor; Minister; Editor; Writer; Speaker; Restaurateur; Movie Producer; Antique Restoration Specialist; Personal Care Worker; PC Repair Specialist; Computer Instructor; Webmaster and Web Designer. "I write about what I know."

He lives deep in the Pacific Northwest rainforest with his wife, author and editor Rebecca and Buddy Dog, working on his next book.
Visit him at: www.dhbrownbooks.com