Hot Fudge - Softcover

Bruno, Anthony

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312875908 ISBN 13: 9780312875909

Publisher: Forge Books, 2001

Synopsis

Loretta Kovacs and Frank Marvelli, the fugitive-hunting heroes of Devil's Food and Double Espresso are back in another sexy, savvy yarn of lowlifes on the lam -- and the quirky characters who hunt them down.

Partners -- and lovers at last -- Frank and Loretta usually bust parole violators for the New Jersey Jump Squad. But their off-hours relationship runs into a couple of curvaceous speed bumps in the form of Vissa (short for Elvissa) Mylowe, a fellow PO and former flame of Frank's who is just too out-an-out irresistible for Loretta's piece of mind. When Vissa "borrows" Frank to help her track down a notorious career criminal who has surfaced in San Francisco, Loretta can't help trailing the pair all the way to California, just to keep an eye on them.

'Frisco is a long way from Jersey, in more ways than just miles, and Loretta and Frank soon find themselves in a sticky, tricky imbroglio involving a murderous menage a trois, a bisexual Chinese dominatrix, the I Ching, and the secret ingredient in Elmer Fudge Whirl ice cream.

Can a spanking new romance, and old-fashioned street smarts, survive the New Age twists and temptations of California? Or will Loretta's heart -- along with the rest of her vital organs -- be ground up into dogfood?

About this title

About the Author:

Anthony Bruno's novel Devil's Food, the first book in the Kovacs/Marvelli series, received an Anthony nomination for Best Novel of 1998. He is also the author of several other acclaimed crime novels, including Double Espresso, Bad Luck, Bad Guys, Bad Mood, Bad Business, and Bad Apple. Somewhere along the way, he also squeezed in the bestselling novelization of the hit movie Seven.

From Publishers Weekly:

A trio of detectives chase a corrupt ice cream magnate from New Jersey to San Francisco in Bruno's third adventure featuring New Jersey Jump Squad partners Loretta Kovacs and Frank Marvelli. Kovacs and Marvelli quickly couple up as the story opens, but their romantic union is immediately threatened by the presence of the gorgeous Evissa Mylowe, a fellow officer whose history with Marvelli comes into play when the two are assigned to a case. That case involves Ira Krupnick, a former player in the drug trade who skips bail after a series of violations and heads off to San Francisco, leaving Marvelli and Mylowe to track him down, with a jealous Kovacs hot on their heels. The investigation focuses on Krupnick's new identity as part-owner of an ice cream company, a Ben & Jerry's-style outfit whose showcase flavor features a suspiciously addictive secret ingredient. But much of the investigation is a flimsy excuse for a nonstop series of flirtations involving the romantic triangle of Kovacs, Marvelli and Mylowe, with a side dose of sexual shenanigans starring Krupnick's bisexual girlfriend and his other libidinous interest, a Chinese dominatrix who imprisons Marvelli in her dungeon. Psychopath Krupnick's edgy life as a career criminal lends the novel a hint of grit, but the silliness of the story line makes it tough to take seriously his efforts to kill the three detectives. The book's strength is the chemistry between Kovacs and Marvelli, and Bruno uses his flair for lascivious scenes and wisecracking dialogue to milk their relationship whenever possible. His fast-moving prose style makes for an easy read, but the sugary, cotton-candy plot keeps this title in the category of light summer novelty. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Forge Books
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0312875908
• ISBN 13: 9780312875909
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288