Hard-boiled, decidedly quirky, and not a little bit zany, Jon Jackson's La Donna Detroit takes its place as the eighth, and perhaps the loopiest, entrant in Jackson's deservedly popular Detective Sergeant "Fang" Mulheisen mystery series. The Fang tale, which began with 1977's The Diehard, concerns itself with, among many others, the aforementioned Detroit detective (a peripheral character in La Donna Detroit); his somewhat brutal police mentor, Grootka; Helen Sedlacek, the daughter of a whacked crime boss who, in turn, whacked the whacker and who is the lover of the fugitive Joe Service, a hit man who has been dogging or is being dogged by Fang from day one; and Humphrey DiEbola, the current crime boss, who ascended the throne thanks to Helen's murderous activities and who, despite that fact that she's helped herself to eight million of his hardly earned dollars, has taken Helen under his wing and seems for all intents and purposes to be grooming her as his heir. In fact, DiEbola would like her to assume control of his Detroit-based, ersatz Cuban cigar concern, even if they had to sell at a loss for a while:

No, she didn't want that. She was too good a businesswoman. She believed that with Berta's help she could get her girls to turn out a quality cigar. They could go two ways: her girls would slap labels on them, any label she wanted, and they could be peddled as "illegal" Cuban "seconds"; and they'd also work on a public, over-the-counter cigar, the LaDonna series. Five bucks. Basically the same cigar, quality tobacco from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and so on; they'd be good cigars; they might lose money for a while, but they would slowly build a clientele. As Helen becomes further ensconced in DiEbola's web-like netherworld, renegade federal agents surface, Joe resurfaces, and, after a deadly accident that seems far too coincidental and beneficial, Fang Mulheisen arrives--late to dinner but in plenty of time for dessert. Enter the series with La Donna Detroit and leap around, or pick them up in order. Either way you'll read them all, and some you'll read more than once. --Michael Hudson


From Publishers Weekly
Jackson continues to crank out one of the wildest and wittiest crime series going. This time out his hero, Detroit cop "Fang" Mulheisen, doesn't get a whole bunch to do till the last 50 pages. Before that we follow the Machiavellian moves of mobster Humphrey DiEbola (Jackson has a droll way with his character names). Humphrey's dark deeds stretch back to his childhood, and now he's trying to plan his retirement. For a made guy, retiring can sometimes require whacking most of his rivals and faking his own death. Humphrey gets help here from Helen Sedlacek, an old Mulheisen nemesis, who vanished with mob money in a previous adventure. Now she's back in action, with Humphrey unexpectedly friendly toward her, along with her hired-killer lover, Joe Service, who's currently in the shadowy employ of a government agency after recovering from a bullet-inspired coma. Of course, Joe's job still requires killing. Once Mulheisen surfaces, he winds up this vastly enjoyable caper with his usual high style. "La Donna" is the name of the quality cigar brand Helen is sellingDCuban tobacco rolled in the Motor City at a price even Mulheisen can appreciate. That Jackson spends a lot of narrative time backtracking is good news for new readers, if a shade irksome for older fans. With any luck he'll start producing mysteries more often. That would be great news for everyone. Agent, Bob Datilla. Phoenix Literary Agency. (June) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Detective Sergeant "Fang" Mulheisen (Man with an Ax) clashes with the mob when he learns of an apparent reconciliation between a Mafia chief and the woman who killed his predecessor. Sex, violence, and the nitty-gritty: look for demand. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The New York Times Book Review, Marilyn Stasio
The mob boss is some piece of work--one of those ... master criminals who keep edging this series onto bolder levels of ironic wit.


From Booklist
Jackson's Fang Mulheisen series remains a favorite among hard-boiled devotees. This latest installment continues the saga of Helen Sedlacek and Joe Service, who were on the run from the Detroit Mob in Deadman (1994) and Dead Folks (1996), but who have now made peace with the don, Humphrey DiEbola, who seems to be turning more and more of his power over to Helen (La Donna). Detroit cop Mulheisen, ever the bulldog, remains on DiEbola's trail, and when it appears that the don has been killed in a poker game turned violent, the skeptical detective looks to Helen for answers. Mulheisen plays a relatively minor role in this story, which focuses on the human sides of Mob life (a cross between Prizzi's Honor and The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight). Humor and humanity have always been key to the appeal of the Mulheisen novels, but this time the context is less dark than usual. That may disappoint some fans, but it provides a showcase for Jackson's wide-ranging talent. A slight change of pace, then, but not an unwelcome one. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
The Newark Star-Ledger has written that Jon A. Jackson is "full of surprises ... worth reading, keeping, and rereading." In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the Mulheisen books "one of the wildest and wittiest crime series going" and La Donna Detroit "a vastly enjoyable caper." It opens as mob boss Humphrey DiEbola has tracked femme fatale Helen Sedlacek to Montana, where she fled after killing Humphrey's predecessor and running off with millions in Mafia cash. Unexpectedly, rather than take vengeance, he offers her redemption. Humphrey has also set about drastically downsizing old hands, even turning over his illegal cigar factory to Helen to make some legitimate, Cuban-quality cigars. Is he grooming her to become La Donna Detroit? When a quiet poker party in Humphrey's basement leaves all hands dead, Mulheisen smells a rat--and he's not the only one. Wry and note-perfect, La Donna Detroit brings Mulheisen up close to the mob's most intimate face and confirms Jon A. Jackson's stature as a master. Or, in the words of Library Journal: "Sex, violence, and the nitty-gritty: look for demand." "A masterpiece of diabolic design ... [Jackson] keeps edging this series onto bolder levels of ironic wit." -- Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When mob daughter Helen Sedlacek avenged her father's hit by taking the scalp of the boss and running off with Joe Service and millions in Mafia cash, his successor, Humphrey DiEbola, loosed the hounds of hell on her. Now he has turned around and offered her redemption. Humphrey's new plan includes the drastic downsizing of old hands and turning over his illegal cigar factory to Helen to make some legitimate, Cuban-quality cigars. Is he grooming her to become La Donna Detroit? Or is he just streamlining the organization?.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Jackson continues to crank out one of the wildest and wittiest crime series going. This time out his hero, Detroit cop "Fang" Mulheisen, doesn't get a whole bunch to do till the last 50 pages. Before that we follow the Machiavellian moves of mobster Humphrey DiEbola (Jackson has a droll way with his character names). Humphrey's dark deeds stretch back to his childhood, and now he's trying to plan his retirement. For a made guy, retiring can sometimes require whacking most of his rivals and faking his own death. Humphrey gets help here from Helen Sedlacek, an old Mulheisen nemesis, who vanished with mob money in a previous adventure. Now she's back in action, with Humphrey unexpectedly friendly toward her, along with her hired-killer lover, Joe Service, who's currently in the shadowy employ of a government agency after recovering from a bullet-inspired coma. Of course, Joe's job still requires killing. Once Mulheisen surfaces, he winds up this vastly enjoyable caper with his usual high style. "La Donna" is the name of the quality cigar brand Helen is selling--Cuban tobacco rolled in the Motor City at a price even Mulheisen can appreciate. That Jackson spends a lot of narrative time backtracking is good news for new readers, if a shade irksome for older fans. With any luck he'll start producing mysteries more often. That would be great news for everyone. Agent, Bob Datilla. Phoenix Literary Agency. (June) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal