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Rating: 
Summary: Sayonaraville rises above mere formula.
Review: As Sayonaraville opens, Jake Rossiter faces three questions: First, who beheaded insurance agent Henry Jamison, whose office occupies the same floor as Rossiter's own detective agency? Second, can he turn the crime into a paying proposition? Third, can he convince his assistant, Miss Jenkins, to abandon an unprofitable investigation into an arson case involving a destitute Japanese family? Rossiter's attempts to answer these questions lead him on a dangerous trek through post World War II Seattle, as he copes with his idealistic assistant, amorous widows, crooked cops, mob hitmen, and cantankerous, uncooperative clients. As the death toll mounts, the tough-as-nails private eye uncovers a complex web of deceit even larger than he anticipated. Shamus Award nominee Colbert's second novel uses the tropes of the hard-boiled detective genre to explore the age-old problem of racism, focusing on ex-Marine Rossiter's ingrained hatred of all things Japanese. Rossiter eventually buries his prejudice under pressure from Miss Jenkins and due to his experiences with Frank Hashimoto, another US veteran. Rossiter's appeal is a tribute to Colbert's skills, and perhaps a clue to why this novel works so well in spite of the presence of myriad noir clichés--Colbert has added enough subtle touches to Rossiter to raise him above the level of a Mike Hammer clone, winning readers over with his character's gruff charm, tarnished nobility, and keen intelligence. It's an ability Colbert demonstrates repeatedly, as even his "walk-on" characters prove realistic, likeable, and memorable. It's a talent that elevates Sayonaraville above mere formula, resulting in a riveting read with broad appeal.
Rating:
Summary: Sayonaraville rises above mere formula.
Review: As Sayonaraville opens, Jake Rossiter faces three questions: First, who beheaded insurance agent Henry Jamison, whose office occupies the same floor as Rossiter's own detective agency? Second, can he turn the crime into a paying proposition? Third, can he convince his assistant, Miss Jenkins, to abandon an unprofitable investigation into an arson case involving a destitute Japanese family? Rossiter's attempts to answer these questions lead him on a dangerous trek through post World War II Seattle, as he copes with his idealistic assistant, amorous widows, crooked cops, mob hitmen, and cantankerous, uncooperative clients. As the death toll mounts, the tough-as-nails private eye uncovers a complex web of deceit even larger than he anticipated. Shamus Award nominee Colbert's second novel uses the tropes of the hard-boiled detective genre to explore the age-old problem of racism, focusing on ex-Marine Rossiter's ingrained hatred of all things Japanese. Rossiter eventually buries his prejudice under pressure from Miss Jenkins and due to his experiences with Frank Hashimoto, another US veteran. Rossiter's appeal is a tribute to Colbert's skills, and perhaps a clue to why this novel works so well in spite of the presence of myriad noir clichés--Colbert has added enough subtle touches to Rossiter to raise him above the level of a Mike Hammer clone, winning readers over with his character's gruff charm, tarnished nobility, and keen intelligence. It's an ability Colbert demonstrates repeatedly, as even his "walk-on" characters prove realistic, likeable, and memorable. It's a talent that elevates Sayonaraville above mere formula, resulting in a riveting read with broad appeal.
Rating: 
Summary: Curt Colbert vs Jake Rossiter
Review: Curt Colbert displays a very unique writing style. Even though his principle character, Jake Rossiter often speaks with short cliches - he thinks vividly with a much higher language. It is apparent that Jake is a highly self-educated man but is more comfortable while dealing with people in the language of his youth.
Sayonaraville is an outstanding tale that transcends the story line. It displays a softness in Rossiter's character that was not evident in "Rat City". Jake Rossiter has grown. He even manages to put aside the prejudice developed while fighting in the Pacific at the end.
One has to wonder about the influence on him from Miss Jenkins. Curt Colbert teases us with a developing relationship between Miss Jenkins and Jake. She has gone from his girl "Friday" to his partner. And was that just a hint of jealosy that I detected when other men paid attention to her? It will be very interesting to see where this relationship is going to go. In her own way, Miss Jenkins is every bit as tough as Jake.
Sayonaraville is an excellent novel in its own right and it is more than just adequate in backing up Curt's Shamus award nominee "Rat City". I am already waiting to see where Curt takes me next. Curt - don't make me wait so long for your next installment. I need more - now! Donald D. Thompson
Rating:
Summary: It's all in the head.
Review: It's all here!! A riveting tale of murder, racketeering, money-laundering, corrupt cops, hit men, and strippers all told against the backdrop of the post-World War II period in Seattle's Chinatown with its dark alleys, secret passageways and secret ways. Colbert has us jump right in with the story when Rossiter is confronted by the headless body of his insurance agent. Rossiter, coolheaded as always, hopes the dead man thought to write a policy on himself. Why did Rossiter's insurance agent lose his head (literally) to a rusted samurai sword? Why would anyone kill his insurance agent, especially one who is bald, middle-aged, and kindly? The lingering bitterness of the war feeds the suspicions of Rossiter, private eye and veteran of the war in the Pacific. He wants nothing to do with the Harry Hashimoto case taken by Miss Jenkins, now his junior partner. She can sink or swim on her own. Rossiter has a more important case to solve. In this world you can't afford to lose your insurance agent. Tension builds when Rossiter butts heads with his old nemesis, hit man Eddie Valhalla and his gun moll, Zazu. Speaking of heads, just how many more hits to the head can Rossiter take? Between shady cops and shifting antagonists, maybe he should take to wearing a helmet. When Harry Hashimoto's brother, Frank, an embittered, decorated war hero of the famed all-Nisei 442nd Regiment, takes the bullets intended for Rossiter, saving the life of the private eye, Rossiter feels his own prejudices slip away. Armchair sleuths will have a field day with this one. Sayonaraville is a must-read book and a real page-turner. Makes a great gift for mystery-lovers!
Rating:
Summary: Seriously Good
Review: SAYONARAVILLE is the 2nd book in the Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins series following on from the tough hardboiled RAT CITY. Curt Colbert has created a private detective series that has the look and feel of a pulp detective novel written in the 1940s. Jake Rossiter is a hard-bitten, hard drinking private detective working in Seattle. The year is 1948, Rossiter has returned home from the war to find his town overrun by corruption and feels that it's his duty to see that the rats feeding off the honest joes get the punishment they deserve. The story opens with the rather grisly discovery of the decapitated body of Henry Jamison by Miss Jenkins. Jamison is Rossiter's insurance agent and his office adjoins Jake's. Lying on the floor near the body is a samurai sword, obviously the murder weapon. Miss Jenkins has progressed from secretary (girl Friday) to private detective and is about to take her first case. Coincidently (or perhaps not) her first client is a Japanese man named Harry Hashimoto. The fact that he is Japanese does not sit well with Rossiter at all. Remember, this is set in 1948 and Rossiter has just returned from the Pacific where he was fighting the Japanese. He insists that Miss Jenkins drop the case, which she refuses. When an attempt is made on Miss Jenkins' life, putting her in hospital, Rossiter takes over the case for her. The case seems straightforward enough. Mr Hashimoto wants tot get his business back after it was burned down and the insurance company refused to pay the claim. Huh? Hang on! Insurance company, Japanese...wasn't there some sort of link mentioned earlier? Hmmm.... Would anyone care to guess who the insurance agent might have been? These were the kinds of questions that were going through my head while reading the book, so I thought, rather than accidentally include a spoiler or two, I'd simply pose them for you too. There is a seemingly unrelated, but persistent subplot about the return to Seattle of Eddie Valhalla, a hit man who grew up in the same orphanage as Rossiter. Valhalla is Rossiter's sworn enemy nowadays and, upon hearing of his arrival in town, Rossiter sets out to settle a few old scores. The strange thing is, Rossiter seems to cross paths with Valhalla an unusually high number of times while working on the Hashimoto case. It becomes clear that somehow the presence of the hit man is going to have something to do with the case. Finally throw into the picture the crooked police force led by Captain Harvey Blevens, a man who goes out of his way to make life difficult for Rossiter. Part of the protection racket being run by the local police force includes Hashimoto's old shop. When Rossiter asks the new owners a few questions, they call their police "protectors". The fact that Blevens himself answered the call in double quick time tells Jake that he was onto something pretty big. Although Jake takes the top billing, it's the increasingly surprising Miss Jenkins who steals the show, revealing an increasingly impressive array of talents. She began the series in RAT CITY as Rossiter's young, naïve and innocent secretary. When surprised or embarrassed she would utter a "my goodness" and then blush. She has since graduated to become a private detective in her own right, she carries a gun and has proven that her detecting abilities rivals Jake's. Clearly, Colbert has plans for her in future books. The story is not what you would call a fast-paced thriller. Rather it is a methodical story where the clues are tracked down, the suspects are tailed and everything is pieced together as each new piece is discovered. All very neat and tidy. In between come some momentary bouts of violence mixed with humorous exchanges to keep things moving along. It's not breathless action but I found it enjoyable all the same. Curt Colbert has written a strong sequel to RAT CITY providing an intriguing mystery. His ability to capture the period in which it is written is unquestioned, with the dialogue and the plot giving the story the feel of an authentic 1940s detective novel. I said this when reviewing RAT CITY and it still applies for SAYONARAVILLE, people who love the hardboiled private detective stories written by authors such as Mickey Spillane will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of fun!
Review: This Colbert's second entry in a very entertaining series set in Seattle in the late 1940's, following the debut novel "Rat City." Part screwball comedy, part private eye, part loving homage to the early days of crime fiction, part word play - I could go on and on listing the features of the book which pleased me. Jake Rossiter and Miss Jenkins return. Miss Jenkins has recently been promoted by Jake to junior partner, and is anxious to do a good job on her first case - locating the criminal behind the destruction by arson of a store owned by a Japanese American businessman. In the meantime, the insurance agent who works in an office near Rossiter's detective agency has been beheaded in his office, and Jake is hired by his widow to find the killer. This is a quick, delightful read, filled with the slang of the late 40's and atmospheric trips to strip joints, dark alleys where danger lurks, suspicious cinnamon rolls, an overly amorous client, and the bitter memories of WWII veterans who fought in Europe and the Pacific, learning rather grudgingly to trust again. Colbert is on a roll here - and I hope it lasts. The book jacket reports he is working on a third entry.
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