David Steven RappoportCritiques

Literate, encyclopedic and a double-dollop of fun! Husbands and Lap Dogs Breathe Their Last, the debut novel by Chicago writer David Steven Rappoport is a wonderful romp of a mystery from steampunk occult Chicago to back country Maine. Our amateur sleuth, Cummings Flynn Wanamaker, works to solve a double murder featuring spontaneous combustion, greek pastries and orgone boxes.

Channeling Pynchon and Dickens in naming a lineup of colorful characters (retired spy novelist Deuteronomy Smelt comes to mind), Rappoport sends his engaging sleuth in and out of a web of misinformation and missed clues to ferret out the tangled truth. Cozy meets noir, with a few laughs and a lot of wit.

I truly hope there are more Wannamaker mysteries to come, because this one went down like chocolate and raspberries, leaving me wanting more.