In this as in Leonard's other novels, dialogue bears the burden of developing plot, character, and setting; the chapters are brief (twenty-eight in the 283-page book), so each is similar to a scene in an unfolding drama. These traits combine to produce a fast-paced novel that also is notable for its realism. (Leonard in an interview recalled having ". . . spent some time with the Miami Beach police, one detective in particular, for LaBrava. Asked a lot of questions about situations that appear in the book. What happens if a woman who lives in one of the hotels receives an extortion note, what do you do? What's the procedure in investigating this kind of case? Do you bring in the FBI? And so on. I find out exactly how they would handle the investigation.")

The third person omniscient narrator is singularly unobtrusive; rather, Joe LaBrava is the author's surrogate, the...