Russell Hatler

Odds and Ends, LLC Russell Hatler

Something big is about to go down in the Windy City. Nobody knows the exact details, but they sure know who to call. James "Jimmie Quick" Silver has recently come back from the Caribbean, where he recovered a cool half million bucks from some thugs who thought to disturb his boss's peace of mind. The Boss is pleased to cancel an old favor by sending Jimmie to Chicagoland where the big boys play hardball. The question is can our boy Jimmie stay in the game for the full nine innings?Jimmie is normally assisted by his next-door neighbor, the delectable Dolly Meyer. Not this time, however, as Dolly's roommate has gone missing, and it's up to Dolly to bring her back alive. As luck would have it, Lucy's destiny and Jimmie's designated duty are closely related, and Dolly and Jimmie are soon back in harness, working furiously to rescue Lucy and defeat the dastardly villains. The subtheme of Jimmie's romantic pursuit of Dolly that began with such promise in "South of Even" continues to heat up in Chicagoland. Lucy, Dolly's fellow ecdysiast, has gone to Chicago to help organize a group of dancers and something has gone horrible awry. In the end Jimmie and Dolly save the slumbering Lucy from a fate worse than death, and Dolly becomes more deeply entangled in the web of Jimmie's dubious charm. By the end of the book, fate finally favors the frustrated lovers and it looks like they may at last bring their budding relationship up to the next rung on the love-ladder.