In no time at all - because pulp novels and Lashner move almighty quickly - Victor's in trouble up to his eyebrows not only with the old/new girlfriend and the police, but also with Eastern European gangsters that learned their trade from The Godfather and wouldn't mind dropping Victor's body in a convenient large body of water or freshly poured concrete.

As it turns out, Wren Denniston had been doing some lying too. He was hovering on the edge of being financially destitute. Julia says she didn't know that, and Victor would like to trust her, but she sells him down the river to the two homicide detectives. Of course, that was after he sold her down the river to the same two cops. All in her best interests, of course.

Lashner is a prince of witty repartee. I loved his dialogue exchanges and how he was able to bring a character to life with just a few lines. When Victor gets joined by Derek Moats, a recent client he kept out of jail, the fun really blossoms as the two become - for a time - one of the most offbeat investigative teams ever.

In an afterward to the novel, Lashner announces that he's going to be taking a break from Victor Carl for the next few novels. I was truly disappointed. However, I've got six other books to read that I hadn't known about before this one. And, like the Harry Potter series, I can at least own all the Victor Carl books that have been written.

For a time.

Because I can't believe that Lashner is going to let Victor lie fallow for long. The writing style is just so reader-friendly and must be a hoot to work on.

If you want something breezy and easy to read, that has some attentiveness and speaks of the human condition, A Killer's Kiss is a great book. Fans of Robert B. Parker and Michael Connell will eat this one up and want more.