From Publishers Weekly:
Chicago kickboxer Ron Shade's knight errantry sometimes misfires in his second appearance (after 2002's A Killing Frost) from Illinois police sergeant Black, but the throwback PI goes the distance. Shade's work, which includes stints providing security for a downtown hotel and its two bars, doesn't interfere with his ambitious goal of winning the heavyweight kickboxing championship. But his proclivity for rescue work, ranging from an old girlfriend to a stray kitten to a Russian boxer in thrall to a gangster, throws a serious monkey wrench into his plans. Shade's old high school flame, Paula Kittermann, re-enters his life in dramatic fashion, only to become a hit-and-run victim soon after. When Paula's beautiful cousin, whom he remembers as a freckle-faced youngster, asks his help in finding the driver, Shade can hardly refuse. While the supporting cast, among them a crusty trainer, a cop buddy and a cop enemy, is fairly standard issue, Shade himself is an attractive blend of tough guy and sentimental softie. One gets the feeling that Shade may never take top honors in the ring, but he'll always be an entertaining fighter as long as he answers the bell.
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From Booklist:
Readers who applauded the debut of Black's Ron Shade series--A Killing Frost (2002)--will find their faith in the new writer justified. This time kickboxing detective Shade, working security at a hotel to pick up a few extra bucks, runs into former flame Paula Kitterman, who is being pushed around by a man. After saving Paula from the creep, whom she claims not to know, Ron invites her back to his place, where passions are rekindled. The next day Paula turns up dead, supposedly the victim of a hit-and-run accident. When Paula's cousin Laurie comes to Chicago to find out what happened, she hires Ron to investigate--and the two soon become romantically involved. As Ron trains for a big fight and helps Laurie search for clues to Paula's death, another body turns up--and Ron becomes the prime suspect. Fans of V. I. Warshawski will appreciate both the hard-boiled yet soft-hearted Shade and the way in which former cop Black captures the grit of Chicago's streets. Jenny McLarin
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