THE latest offering from the master of American crime writing follows the development of Carl Webster from a naive but trepidatious teen to the hot kid of the Marshal service.

But this is more than just a comingof- age story. In the form of two short stories and a novella, Comfort Of The Enemy is a slow-burning and understated crime story.

The death in a prisoner of war camp and the repeat escape of former Nazi guard Jürgen to the home – and embrace – of glamorous gangster’s moll Shemane, give Carl his biggest investigation yet. But with double-crossing characters and his own strengths and weaknesses getting in the way, the chase is not as straightforward as it seems. The excitement comes from the zinging dialogue and characters who are as colourful as the cover of a work of pulp fiction.

Lisa Williams