Redemption Street

When a disheveled man comes into Moe Prager's wine store in Manhattan asking him to find his sister who supposedly perished in a Catskill resort fire sixteen years earlier, Prager brushes him off. The fact that Prager had gone to high school with the sister did nothing to make him take the case.

However, when the brother commits suicide and someone attempts to buy Prager off the case, he suddenly shows some interest. In his searching, Prager meets up with some interesting people, gets beaten up a few times but ultimately becomes this victor.

I like the way Reed Farrel Coleman writes and I like the Moe Prager character. There's the right amount of mystery, murder, beatings, and philosophizing. Prager seems like an all around nice guy and show more his love of his wife and young daughter make him very human.

There are six books in the Prager series and I intend to read them all. show less

This series is fantastic. Short, very well written mysteries. Very glad I'm reading this in order (not that I ever would purposely not read a series in order) but so many references to Moe's father in law would be missed by not having read the series in order.

Moe's first official PI case he goes to the Catskills to investigate a fire that killed his high school crush, and 15 other people, some 20 years before. A lot of focus past and present on the Jewish culture. As with the first book Moe fights his own moral code on how to best deal with outcome.

Second in the Moe Prager series and another solid entry. Prose has a nice flow to it. Very descriptive style rather than a thriller where the pace picks you up and pulls you along. This entry is sandwiched between the two elements of the first book which was set both in present day and 20 years ago - this can make things seem a little weird at times because Moe doesn't know things that we have learnt from the first book. While the key perpatrator is integral to the story the focus only shifts to them as a suspect much later in the story when the events are are unveiled and it is very much a case of being unveiled as the story is one where you are brought along for the ride rather than clues being left for you to try and solve the show more mystery before the PI. show less

(Moe Prager series #2) I enjoy the writing but his "detective" is again maddeningly inept. He only survives situations by chance or, in this case, help from one of the bad guys. Maybe this is why Moe only has five more books to go? But will continue reading them.

I'm so glad a fellow in BookPeople in Austin recommended this to me. I'd read reviews of Coleman's books and recognized the name of his protagonist Moe Prager, but somehow passed them by. I like this understated guy and was fascinated by the cast of real characters he created for this engaging plot.

Moe Prager a retired NYPD officer enjoys his work with his brother Aaron in their wine store partnership but when a demented man on the brink commits suicide after begging for Moe's help his detectival juices are stirred up. Prager takes on the old case of a fire in a Catskills summer resort which killed many youngsters working there for the summer.

The story is well told and is very engrossing as it brings back memories of another time and place.This is one of the best stories I have read in a long time.