Stuart M. Kaminsky was another giant in the crime novel genre who was lost to us in 2009. He left behind a substantial body of work of more than 50 novels with an expansive oeuvre of crime novels featuring such well known characters as Toby Peters, Inspector Rostnikov, Abe Lieberman, and Lew Fonesca, with Fonesca being the last of his literary creations. Kaminsky also authored two original novels on the Rockford Files as well as several other generic crime novels. 

Early in his career Kaminsky was the contributing author for the television series, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and his involvement with television continued into this decade with his authorship of three episodes for "CSI: New York." He was close to the film industry and authored numerous nonfiction biographies and essays on many of its luminaries, including director Donald Siegel, Clint Eastwood, Ingmar Bergman, John Huston, and Gary Cooper.

Kaminsky's writing features solid stories and captivating dialogue, which is always a plus for me as a reader. His novels define the simple pleasure of reading, almost like literary comfort food. I can sit down after a long day and know that I am going to be with literary friends who will always entertain me. In the case of Lew Fonesca, nothing too complex, nothing too challenging, very little violence, and a small coterie of delightful characters who will help me pass the time. All in all, these novels are ripping good entertainment.

I was immediately entranced by the setup for Lew Fonesca, so here is where I began my introduction to Kaminsky. I love the fact that his stories take place in Sarasota, Florida, one of my favorite cities. I also immensely enjoy the lead character, for Fonesca is the very antithesis of the typical gumshoe. He is a small, balding nebbish of a man who is in his forties and devoted to the memory of his wife. I get a mental image of a guy who would be blown over by a strong wind off Sarasota Bay.

Lew's wife had been killed three years earlier by a hit and run driver back in Chicago. In a mostly failing effort to get away from his memories of this tragedy, Lew left Chicago and headed south. Perhaps his destination was Key West, but his car broke down behind a Dairy Queen in Sarasota, Florida, and there he stayed. He rented a cheap office in a run-down former motel behind the DQ, because he has a thing for Dilly Bars. He sleeps in his office and showers at the YMCA next door. Lew makes weekly visits to Ann Horowitz, his shrink, who charges him $10 a session plus coffee or $20 a session plus coffee if he has money. All done to help him find new interest in life. She also wants a joke from a man who has forgotten how to laugh.

The money, what little he needs, comes in spurts from a law firm which occasionally hires him as a process server since his specialty is "finding people." This is a rather odd situation since Lew himself would rather not be found. His preference would be to go off somewhere and leave the world behind him. Basically, he is a sad sack sort of guy as well as being an emotional basket case. 

But life goes on because Lew "finds people," and now, with his reputation growing, people are starting to find him. At the moment he is sitting in the sunny warmth in front of the Dairy Queen discussing the vicissitudes of life with Dave, the owner, while wondering how long it will be before the scantily clad youngsters jogging and bicycling past will come down with skin cancer. Lew pulls his Cubs hat down a little further for more shade.

His quiet reverie is interrupted by the approach of a black minister who is also a local elected official, the first of two clients to hire him that day. This case involves the political machinations to open Midnight Pass between Siesta Key and Casey Key. A key vote against the opening on the County Commission has disappeared, and the minister wants Lew to find him and make sure that he attends the meeting to vote against it. Right after the minister leaves, a distraught husband hires Lew to find his missing wife and their two children. He believes that she ran away with his business partner. He's not so sure about wanting his wife back, but he sure wants his kids back. 

Yes, it can surely be said that the word is getting out that Lew Fonesca can find people. His pocket is full of twenty dollar bills and business is almost booming for a recluse who hadn't wanted to be found. 2003, A Forge Book published by Tom Doherty & Associates, 272 pages.