Sean Doolittle - The Cleanup (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
Sean Doolittle, today's finest writer of Midwestern noir, returns with The Cleanup, another standout effort from this relatively unknown author.
Matt Worth is just an ordinary schlub, an average guy working as a cop in Omaha. He's smart enough, but he doesn't use very good judgment. His rash actions have seen him busted down to the lowest post on the force: guarding an all-night supermarket.
There he meets an attractive woman with an abusive boyfriend. He likes her, but he tries not to get involved. That changes when she calls to tell him that she's just killed her boyfriend and needs help disposing of the body.
Doolittle doesn't get the attention that many of the bigger names in the crime genre do, but he should. His understated novels are real gems, fine examples of timeless crime writing that hold up the rich traditions of the genre while also breaking new ground.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
