Vegas writer wows us with The Perfume Alibi

People don't usually think of Nevada, Las Vegas in particular, as the home of serious authors. There's so much else to focus on, the famous Las Vegas Strip, the casinos, the entertainment, Boulder Dam and Lake Tahoe, for example.

But a number of authors of fiction and non-fiction call Nevada home, and you can find their work at Plaza Books.

One emerging author we'd like to highlight here is Jeffrey Cruden, whose The Perfume Alibi, found its way into our shelves about a month ago.

To be honest, as a used bookstore that also specializes in rare, unique and antiquarian books, we don't usually handle newly-published work. However, we make an exception for Nevada authors. In Jeffrey Cruden's case, we were happy to do just that.

Here's our take on this must-read.

The Perfume Alibi has all the good stuff of the mystery genre with a lot of twists and turns, fast action, interesting characters, wry humor and a very confusing plot. This book is kind of like having a bit of Elmore Leonard, a tad or two of Lawrence Block, some Harlan Coben thrown into the mix with a dash of wry humor sprinkled on top.

You've got a dark and dreary night, a bored cop, a driver who is not just out of character for the kind of car he's driving but who is also a man with a deep concern about what's in the trunk of the fancy wheels; you have a couple of down-and-out character actors in training as hit men, a dead wife, a husband under suspicion, a nefarious brother and some cooked books -- and that's just for starters. Throw in a masterful remix of pulp fiction and you have a definite page turner.

So beware, if you begin reading, you won't want to stop.