Review: The Bum's Rush

Ralph Batista, one of the homeless bums that work for Leo Waterman has been missing for a couple of days and Leo is starting to get worried about him. While searching the streets and known hideouts of the homeless Leo and The Boys come across a young woman, Selena Dunlap, being attacked by some other members of the homeless community. Leo and The Boys step in and save her from a beating and rape. Far from grateful, Selena tells Leo to butt out of her life. To even the score she tells Leo where to find Ralph and helps him out on the rescue mission. Leo gets curious about this strange woman and being the softie that he is sets out to find out who she is and how to help her. When Selena tells him she is the mother of a dead musician, Lukkas Terry, Leo becomes embroiled in the dark side of the music business.

Meanwhile Leo is also trying to work off some debt to his high- priced lawyer, Jed James, by looking for a librarian, Karen Mendolsen, who has absconded with a large amount of library funds. Jed and the library committee want her found quietly and the money returned. Its election year and if they go to the Police then the media will get involved and that circus needs to be avoided. Although Leo is concentrating on Selena, Jed nags him into helping find Karen while Jed concentrates on Selenas problems.

G.M. Ford has created a different sort of investigator in Leo Waterman. Most fictional Private Investigators have some sort of psycho hardman sidekick they call in to help when trouble strikes. Leo is no ordinary investigator; he has The Boys. The Boys are a group of alcoholic, sometimes homeless, bums who sway to the rescue and provide backup in exchange for booze money. The Bums Rush starts off with Leo and The Boys looking for one of their own. By using these characters in his books, Ford helps illustrate a genuine concern in todays world and helps the reader see these poor souls as human. The dialogue between Leo and The Boys contains some classic lines and adds a punch of humour to a sometimes dark book. The Bums Rush is the third in this very good series set on the streets of Seattle and I will be reading the rest.

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Jaynie - Australia

Book Review: The Bum's Rush