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Ron Shade is a PI in Chicago. He also works security at a local hotel (kind of in partnership with his connections on the Chicago Police Department) and is in training for a championship full-contact karate match against Elijah Day from Detroit. So he's a pretty busy guy. One night, shortly before his big fight, he intervenes at the hotel piano bar when a red-headed guy is beating up some woman. The woman turns out to be Ron's old girlfriend Paula Kitterman. Paula winds up back at Shade's house for the night (and we already know that this won't turn out well, being the students of the genre that we are), but leaves while Shade is out on his morning training run. George, Shade's cop connection, calls him when Paula is killed in a hit-and-run. Shade is set up with a phony job offer, and while he is waiting for the non-existent client, his house is burglarized. Paula's cousin Laura Kitterman asks him to investigate Paula's death. They find Paula's apartment has also been burglarized. In the course of the investigation, people Shade encounters turn up dead after he's seen them. This is not good, because the police want to tie the deaths directly to Shade. In and around all of this, Shade continues to train for his championship bout. His trainer Chappie wants him to concentrate on the fight and only on the fight -- no women, no running all over Chicago tracking down bad guys, no distractions. Since this is obviously not happening, Chappie and Shade have some conflicts. But Shade keeps doing the best he can, trying to keep everyone happy. Again, we know how well that works. Shade finds his relationship with Laura moving out of the PI/client scenario into romance territory. This poses some ethical issues for Ron. First, he and Paula had unprotected sex the night she stayed at his house. So there is the possibility of HIV (and other STD) exposure. Then there is the whole problem of having sexual relationships with cousins -- in the same month. Plus Ron isn't sure he's ready or able to have a romantic relationship with Laura, who is in Chicago on Spring Break from law school. Where can this romance be headed? Ron Shade isn't always the most ethical person going. While I realize that he wouldn't be an interesting character if he was perfect, I found some of his rationalizations for various actions taken or not taken to be on the far side of the very fuzzy line that separates the good guys from the bad guys for me. Also, sometimes he isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. At one point, he and Laura put their names on a storage locker which once was used by Paula. Inside that locker they have found drugs and money. Shade thinks the cops will descend on him like a ton of bricks if the stash is found in his house -- but doesn't seem to think there will be a problem if the stuff is found in the locker. This doesn't faze Laura, either. Laura, for a student in law school, seems naive and far too accepting of what people tell her to make a good law student. I enjoyed most of this book. I'd be happy to read Black's debut novel, A KILLING FROST, should the opportunity present itself. What I didn't like about WINDY CITY KNIGHTS has little to do with writing style or technique. This reads, at times, like a screenplay converted into a novel; I could easily see this on a big screen, or turned into a fairly successful television series. There are enough continuing characters, with all of Shade's activities, for a nice ensemble cast. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Shade has enough angst and enough action for those who like their private eyes in the classic Marlowe/John D McDonald style.
Reviewed by P. J. Coldren, March 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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