A tale of corruption, crime and cover ups, Wolf Point is a gritty look at the dark underbelly of Chicago politics and the dirty games played by those of privilege and means. Ian K. Smith delivers a strong second installment in a new crime series that is not to be missed.
Walter Griffin, a prominent black Chicago politician, has been dead for 2 years of an apparent suicide that his family does not accept as the real cause of death. Enter Ashe Cayne, a former member of the Chicago PD and current private investigator, who is convinced by the family and his own network of confidants that Walter was likely murdered. As Ashe digs into the case, he starts poking around events and people that others would prefer to stay in the shadows. Despite the increasing danger, Ashe won’t give up until he finds out the truth and gets delayed justice for the Griffin family.
There are a couple of key aspects to Wolf Point that resonated with me. First, Ashe is a work in progress as a person. Despite being intelligent and well educated, he’s reeling from his fiancée leaving him and has a complicated relationship with his father. These things humanize him and help the reader connect to him despite his super investigative powers. Second, I’m a huge fan of Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series and this book has heavy Spenser vibes. It features an unassumingly intelligent and well-read private investigator who’s smart ass wisecracks get him into physical altercations that he can back up with his boxing skills, someone who navigates by their own moral code and drive to never give up until a case is seen to fruition and justice is done, a man who exudes sexuality that belies his tough exterior, and has a badass friend/sidekick who shows up with a big gun when most needed to watch his back and take care of business. Sounds a lot like Spenser and Hawk to me. The main differences are that the races are switched and it’s Chicago instead of Boston. The result of these fascinating parallels to anyone who’s read a Spenser book is instantly connecting with the characters as if this has been a long running series, adding quite a bit to the enjoyment of this novel.
Also, if like me you don’t know who Ian K. Smith is then I recommend you Google him. This guy is way impressive with a resume that goes far beyond writing a couple of thrillers. Educated at Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth and U of Chicago. Doctor. Author of bestselling diet and nutrition books. Co-Host and medical contributor on the Rachel Ray Show. Appearances all over television and featured in numerous print articles. Served on the Presidential Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. And much more. Dude is legit and having him throw his hat into the thriller genre is exciting.
Well written with solid character development, Wolf Point is definitely worth picking up and the series will be one to watch going forward. Fans of crime novels, especially those that feature a duo like Robert B. Parker’s Spenser and Hawk or CJ Box’s Joe Pickett and Nate Romanowski, will want to get in on this series early. It’s off to a promising start!
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