Book Description

"Action, lust, danger, style and witty repartee, Orcutt's A Real Piece of Work is a work of art."* Critically acclaimed author Chris Orcutt introduces Dakota Stevens, a modern PI with the wit and grit of Spenser and the sleuthing skills of Sherlock Holmes. In a thrill-ride of a mystery that leads from Manhattan to the Catskills to Washington, D.C., what begins as the simple recovery of a painting soon uncovers an international art scam, multiple murders, and a chilling secret hidden since WWII. Introducing His Gorgeous and Formidable Associate, Svetlana Krüsh... A Ukrainian-American chess champion with runway legs, predator eyes, and fluency in seven languages, Svetlana Krüsh is much more than a sexy sidekick, bringing worldly sophistication and a razor-sharp mind to their cases. Forged and Stolen Art, Secret Identities and Murder... New York City is in the grips of its worst blizzard since 1888 when an art dealer stumbles in from the storm and hires them to find a stolen painting. Dakota and Svetlana are soon neck-deep in a world of unstable artists, seductive gallery owners, mysterious collectors, deadly henchmen, and a stunning femme fatale. A Fast-Paced and Intelligent Mystery in the Noir Tradition... A Real Piece of Work is a pristinely well-written page-turner for readers who like a great story told with literary style. "Action, lust, danger, style and witty repartee, Orcutt's A Real Piece of Work is a work of art." - *IndieReader Readers Say: "Orcutt has combined a classic hard-boiled with the page-turning frenzy of a Dan Brown novel." "PI Dakota Stevens is a cross between Philip Marlowe and Jason Bourne and his partner Svetlana Krush is a chess Grandmaster with the body of a Victoria's Secret model." "Just when you think you've solved the mystery, Orcutt surprises you with another unexpected twist." "As for the characters--perfection. Flawed, funny, heroic and developed fully from the first page until the final page." "I read A Real Piece of Work in three days. Didn't get much sleep...but it was well worth it." "Dakota Stevens and his indispensable sidekick/chess champion Svetlana Krush are a delightful modern take on the noir detective style." "The author's ability to paint a picture or scene with words is astounding. This book is ripe for adaptation to film." "Orcutt weaves a story that keeps you hanging on until the very end." "People in the reviews keep mentioning Spenser/Robert B. Parker, and they're right; but add a good streak of John Le Carré, turn the roaster up a notch, and maybe you're getting in the ballpark." "Reading Orcutt is like chasing a lit fuse into a dark tunnel." "I am now stalking this author on Amazon, anxiously awaiting the release of his next book in the series." More about A Real Piece of Work: * The novel contains a password, giving buyers access to research bonus material on the Dakota Stevens website. * The novel is based on over 2,000 pages of articles and government documents (including information about the now-famous Monuments Men) to ensure that elements of the book are historically accurate. --- "Action, lust, danger, style and witty repartee, Orcutt's A Real Piece of Work is a work of art. (5 stars)" — IndieReader "This is an extremely well written novel. It has all the elements you would want to find in a book of this genre: plenty of fast action, beautiful women, secret wealth and bravery beyond measure. But add in a couple of extra ingredients and you have a real winner. The extra ingredients? The quality of the writing. The book moves at a pace, and it's a consistent pace. It never flags. But the ingredient that makes this a winner for me is definitely Orcutt's wit. He paints the Dakota Stevens character so well that you cannot fail to like him. (5 stars)" — The Kindle Book Review "Stylishly written—nods to the classics of the detective genre—with great characters and plenty of wit and originality. (5 stars)" — National Bestselling Author Dave King