From Publishers Weekly
A trio of detectives chase a corrupt ice cream magnate from New Jersey to San Francisco in Bruno's third adventure featuring New Jersey Jump Squad partners Loretta Kovacs and Frank Marvelli. Kovacs and Marvelli quickly couple up as the story opens, but their romantic union is immediately threatened by the presence of the gorgeous Evissa Mylowe, a fellow officer whose history with Marvelli comes into play when the two are assigned to a case. That case involves Ira Krupnick, a former player in the drug trade who skips bail after a series of violations and heads off to San Francisco, leaving Marvelli and Mylowe to track him down, with a jealous Kovacs hot on their heels. The investigation focuses on Krupnick's new identity as part-owner of an ice cream company, a Ben & Jerry's-style outfit whose showcase flavor features a suspiciously addictive secret ingredient. But much of the investigation is a flimsy excuse for a nonstop series of flirtations involving the romantic triangle of Kovacs, Marvelli and Mylowe, with a side dose of sexual shenanigans starring Krupnick's bisexual girlfriend and his other libidinous interest, a Chinese dominatrix who imprisons Marvelli in her dungeon. Psychopath Krupnick's edgy life as a career criminal lends the novel a hint of grit, but the silliness of the story line makes it tough to take seriously his efforts to kill the three detectives. The book's strength is the chemistry between Kovacs and Marvelli, and Bruno uses his flair for lascivious scenes and wisecracking dialogue to milk their relationship whenever possible. His fast-moving prose style makes for an easy read, but the sugary, cotton-candy plot keeps this title in the category of light summer novelty. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
New Jersey parole officers Loretta Kovacs and Frank Marvelli are back on the road, this time in pursuit of career criminal Ira Krupnick, who dropped out of sight years ago. Also on the trail is another parole officer, sexy Vissa Mylowe, who would love to replace Kovacs as Marvelli's lover. The Krupnick they think they've drawn a bead on is really onetime ice-cream mogul Arnie Bloomfield, who "sold" his identity to Krupnick in an effort to start a new life far from the world of Fudge Ripple. So the real Ira Krupnick, career bad guy, is the face on the ice-cream cartons. Vissa, Loretta, and Frank troop out to corporate ice-cream headquarters in San Francisco, where they run afoul of Ira and his dominatrix. Bruno plays the Kovacs-Marvelli series strictly for laughs and hits the mark with remarkable accuracy, launching well-aimed barbs at everything from designer ice cream to corporate culture to sexual fetishes. Fans of comic mysteries should add Bruno to their must-read list, alongside Laurence Shames and Janet Evanovich.
Wes LukowskyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
