Jack Bertolino took early retirement from his job as narcotics chief at the New York Police Department due to severe back pain. He moved to Los Angeles and struck out on his own as a private detective.

One night, while he was enjoying his new life grilling steak on his balcony in the middle of winter, he received a call from Mia, a former lover and confidential informant. She needed his help, but he hesitated getting involved with her as he knew it wouldn’t be the wisest decision he’d ever made.

By the end of the night his world had turned upside down. He was shocked at the sudden turn of events; especially that he was accused of murder. Jack found himself in trouble with the Columbian drug cartel and the 18th Street Angels; accused of murder by the LAPD who later let him go.

Shocked by an unexpected and gruesome death, he wondered what he could have done to prevent it. He decided to forge ahead and see the case to the finish no matter what he had do to succeed.

He was surprised when the LAPD asked him for help in solving her murder. Little did Jack know what he would have to go through in order to avenge the death of his friend, or if he would live long enough to accomplish his goal.

The Devil’s Necktie by John Lansing is the first in a series featuring Jack Bertolino, followed by Blond Cargo. Bertolino has retired to Las Angeles and readers could easily see him as a leading man in the latest action movie.

The novel is a fast-paced and constantly moving story with any number of supporting characters who may or may not approve of the hero’s decisions, but ultimately understand and even possibly approve the way he deals with the dredge of society. Numerous twists and turns will keep pages turning, and the powerful ending will satisfy.

I like that the author created a positive relationship between Jack and his son, unusual in most hard-boiled stories. Their relationship gave the story another level of depth. The characters appear true to life and hopefully at least a few of them will continue to appear in further books.

If you are interested in purchasing The Devil's Necktie, it is available at Amazon.com.

A special thank you goes to Simon and Schuster for providing us with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for our honest review.