Daigle hits his stride in this third Frank Nagler Mystery. The characters are strong and convincing, and the plot is unpredictable, with sudden twists that take even a careful reader by surprise. The setting is dark, unsettling and gritty, a northern NJ city caught up in the aftermath of decades-long political corruption and financial hardships. Detective Frank Nagler is the last honest man in this city, the white knight who defends the weak and downtrodden. Of the three books in the series, this is the one that pulls out all the stops and tells a story of such depravity and evil that there will be times when you pause your reading and you’ll want to wash your hands. But it’s in this juxtaposition of the dark and light that the exquisite tension of the story builds, the decency and strength of the Nagler character is revealed and the sordid mystery of the little girl left filthy and neglected in a dumpster unfolds. This book is recommended reading if you’re looking for an inventive plot and boldly drawn characters.

I greatly enjoyed the first Frank Nagler story, “Swamps of Jersey.” The writing is superb, settings so vividly portrayed as to be nearly palpable. The plot is engaging and the main character captivating. I was thrilled to learn that a second Frank Nagler story was in the works and couldn’t wait to read it. In “A Game Called Dead,” Frank Nagler is still intriguing, a man whose sense of morality drives him to soldier on despite his deep personal pain. I may have actually hit on one of the clues well before the book ended which didn’t at all detract from the reading pleasure. The story isn’t so much a “whodunit” as a “why they dun it,” and the wide-ranging effects of the crime. I was rooting for Nagler to solve it because this very private person reveals himself in the how and why of his detective work. The only question I had left when I was finished was “when’s the next Frank Nagler book coming out?” The Weight of Living didn’t disappoint. It presents a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. The crime involves stones that many influential people would like to see unturned, stones that have kept secrets buried for generations. Despite grave opposition and at personal cost, Nagler, driven by his moral code, compassion, and commitment to help the helpless, keeps digging until his and his worthy cohorts have uncovered the truth. I sincerely hope this series continues.