The New Odd Couple

If you enjoyed Ronald Tierney’s excellent Deets Shanahan private-eye series, you should also get a kick from his newer one, which introduces a pair of San Francisco P.I.s, Carly Paladino and Noah Lang--an odd but effective couple.

In Death in North Beach (Severn House), the sequel to last year’s Death in Pacific Heights, newbie Paladino and grizzled vet Lang investigate the murder of Whitney Warfield, a celebrated Beat Generation novelist.

Carly is initially approached by William Blake, who claims to be a world-class gigolo as well as a longtime friend of Warfield. He’s also a likely suspect in Warfield’s killing, having been seen in a heated argument with the deceased. As Carly and Noah investigate, they realize that solving their latest case will mean unraveling a tangled skein of lies and jealousy.

Good, dirty fun--with a delightful icing of San Francisco details.