This is the first of the series that i read, and I thought it was exceptional. (I agree, however, with the reviewer who disliked the virulent anti-marijuana preaching). The best feature is a plot that keeps moving and twisting. The characters held my interest. Looking forward to more.

This the third novel in the author's series about private investigator Holland Taylor, and the best so far. While some people prefer to read a series in order, these can be read as stand alone novels. Like Sherlock Holmes and other good series, each is an entirely separate case. This novel is a fast paced mystery that is hard to put down. It kept me up late.

Holland is hired to investigate the disappearance of a woman seven months earlier. The door to their house was standing open when her husband arrived, and she was gone with nothing but the clothes on her back. Foul play is suspected. There is a list of suspects including her husband (who is trying to collect on a life insurance policy) and former co-workers. She was young, pretty, and extremely intelligent.

As the investigation proceeds, it goes through twists and turns, right up to the last page. Every time you think you know the solution, there is another twist. I was reminded of an old song refrain, "Never, never trust a woman. You'll be sorry if you do." There are a lot of sleazy people involved. One has to wonder at the end if everyone really got what they deserved.

David Housewright has yet to take a false step in this series. Dearly Departed is every bit as convoluted and entertaining as the previous two books. First-person narratives are always tricky, but Housewright manages to make Holland Taylor sensitive but not maudlin, droll, and very human.

This search for a supposedly dead woman takes the reader to some very interesting places and introduces us to a cast of entirely believable characters. The reader's curiosity equals that of the hero, as Housewright's Holland becomes fascinated by the missing woman and seeks to unravel the mystery of what became of her.

A first-rate book in a fine series.

Holland Taylor, the likeable P.I. in this new series, is a former St. Paul, MN Homicide detective. He quit the force after his wife and daughter were killed by a drunk driver. Now that driver is out of prison and when he's found dead, Taylor is a logical suspect. Then when he sets out to clear his name he uncovers an elaborate series of plots and counter plots, involving Minnesotta politics, police wrong doing, bookies & bettors, lesbians, etc. It all gets to be a little much, but a first time novelist can surely be forgiven for pulling out all the stops; after all, who knows if there'll be a second book in which to use leftover plotlines.

The characterization of Taylor is a little uneven, as Housewright struggles with balancing hard-boiled conventions with totally unnecessary 90's political correctness, but I enjoyed the book, especially the unusual Twin Cities setting and I look forward to more from Mr. Housewright.

GRADE: B-

Private investigator Holland Taylor finds himself drawn into the campaign of a ditsy gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Anyone can be governor of Minnesota, especially when their opponents have scandals in their personal lives. The murder of an ex-con who had served time for killing Taylor's wife and child while the man was driving drunk puts some suspicion on Taylor. His own investigation of the murder leads into the gubernatorial campaign.

When he is hired to recover a video tape, supposedly being used for blackmail, Taylor stumbles into a string of dead bodies. The tape has some surprising (or should I say revealing) details of the candidate. There are some side comments or inferences about how some women worked their way through college. Some people want the tape revealed, and others want it destroyed.

The story concludes with some surprising revelations. Along the way there are some digressions into a problem Taylor's bookie is having with a card sharp. Taylor has his own ways of dispensing justice when evidence will not support criminal prosecution.

"Penance" is the first Holland Taylor novel by David Housewright. This book won the Edgar Award for the Best First Novel. PI Holland Taylor has lost his wife and daughter to a drunk driver. When the driver of the car, John Brown, is found murdered, the police think Holland is the prime suspect. To clear his name, he begins to search for the real killer. Every avenue he looks into leads to C. C. Monroe, a candidate for the governor of Minnesota. The plot is rather complex, but I really liked the novel and the character of Holland Taylor who has some personal demons that he struggles to deal with. I especially enjoyed the parts with Ogilvy, his pet rabbit, because we own a male lop-eared rabbit. This is an excellent debut novel, and I look forward to reading the next 2 Holland Taylor novels.