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Austin, Texas, circa 1988, is the location of three deaths: the murder of a bottom of the line drug-addicted prostitute, the supposed accidental death of a collage student, and the possible suicide of a top-notch detective. The policeman's partner, homicide detective Dan Reles, has been on a self-destructive rampage since his only friend and mentor was found burned to a crisp at the bottom of a cliff. Did he kill himself and if so why? And why was his all too attractive wife not at home when the accident occurred one late night? Reles feels like an outsider in his Austin precinct. He's a native New Yorker and a Jew, both rarities in that southern state, and even more so on the police force. For reasons he can't figure out, he's given the case of the death of an unnamed prostitute, tagged Dirty Sally, by his fellow cops, whose body parts start to show up on the doorsteps of ten of Austin's most powerful businessmen, all who say they have no knowledge of the prostitute and no relationship to the other men. Reles knows that solving this case is his last chance to get back into the good graces of the department. He's been on a depressed rant sine the death of his only friend and partner, Joey Valez. But getting on the good side of the department is a tough job, in that most of his fellow cops and the higher ranks officers are all dirty to one extent or the other. Reles doesn't know who to trust. Even the ex-wife of his best friend seems to be hiding secrets from him about his friend and the state of their marriage before Joey died. DIRTY SALLY is harsh and quite film noir-like, and author Michael Simon has pieced together a solid police procedural that spices the book with great clues and puts them together seamlessly at the end. It's also a sharp-edged look at the bottom feeders of society, which includes those who serve it, and those who live off the wealth that can be gained from it. There are no real heroes, none who survive anyway. The cops are corrupt, good guys are only so by scant degrees and the evil that men do is detailed in gory detail. DIRTY SALLY gets a recommendation, with a warning. If you like police mysteries with clean, likeable and admirable cops, this book isn't for you. But if the seamier side of life is more to your taste, you'll enjoy this book completely.
Reviewed by Sharon Katz, August 2004
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