Cold Florida

Description

A wisecracking former car thief turns amateur sleuth in this "appealing, offbeat" thriller series debut from an Edgar Award-winning author (Booklist).

It's 1974. Foggy Moskowitz, once a Jewish car thief on the run from the Brooklyn authorities, is now in Florida working for Child Protective Services. For personal reasons.

An unlikely but tenacious child protection officer, he's investigating the case of a missing infant taken from the hospital by her addict mother. But the case takes show more several unexpected turns—including a vision quest—as Foggy journeys from seedy Fry's Bay to Indian Seminole swampland. Along the way he encounters more than a few interesting characters, including John Horse, an Indian mystic, and works to foil a vast land-grab scam by an uber-rich felon.

By turns amusing and moving, mixing passion with pathos, and introducing some truly colorful characters, Cold Florida is the first in an irreverent mystery series from the acclaimed author of the Fever Devlin novels.

"DePoy's lively mix of Seminole history and the wry observations of a 'Yankee Jew criminal' make for an amusing tale." —Publishers Weekly

"Those who are able to roll with Foggy will get an unholy kick out of the characters' flexible allegiances and the hero's colorful descriptions." —Kirkus Reviews

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laytonwoman3rd 1,404 reviews

Fun, fun, fun. It's 1974. Foggy Moskowitz, a one-time car thief from NYC, escaped his last arrest by being declared dead after being thrown from the police car during a high speed chase. He came to in the morgue, declared himself not dead, slipped out unnoticed, and decided Florida was a good place to hide out and start over. He also decided to turn straight and maybe atone for his sins, which isn't as easy as it sounds even in tiny little Fry's Bay. But he manages to get a job in the newly created Child Protection Services agency, and sets out to save a drug addicted newborn when its mother absconds with it from the hospital. Then things get tricky. There are rich bastards, and more druggies, and mystical Seminoles to contend with; show more it's always raining; and who can a guy trust anyway? A little like Carl Hiassen, but slightly less whacky, maybe? Just exactly what the doctor ordered, in any case.
April 2020 show less

Jun 12, 2020 (Edited)

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