Pilikia Is My Business

This P.I. novel was written by a local author, and was my book club's choice for September. I thought it was a quick, fun read, though for a detective, investigator Val didn't seem to have a very good grip on what she should be doing at any given point. She made up for it in snappy quips and general badassery, so I liked reading about her. Anyway, Val is hired by Brian Macgruder, a lawyer who has taken on a case in which his client, Jean, has hidden away her teenage son Nathan. Jean claims that her ex-husband abused the boy, and also that she does not know where he is hidden so she can't be forced to turn him over. It's Val's job to find and protect Nathan, amidst death threats and murder attempts. In the process, she uncovers a host of angry Macgruders, who value their money and success more than the truth, and who want nothing more than for Nathan to remain missing forever.