No Special Hurry - Hardcover

With his second novel, Colbert fulfills the promise of his praised debut in Profit and Sheen. This impeccably written mystery is enhanced by the ambience of New Orleans, exotic characters and the strange experiences affecting the protagonist Tony Curbel. Formerly Antonio Curbelo from Honduras, Curbel's effective first-person narration intensifies the injustice of his imprisonment on false charges. Curbel is freed when a mocking, outre figure known only as Skinny arrives with orders that make him an undercover agent (a euphemism for informant) investigating his own family. Skinny declares that Tony's father and uncle operate a scam that brings illegal aliens from Central America and steers them into jobs in slavery-like conditions. Tony, as their accountant, has been unwittingly laundering the profits from the dirty business. When Tony meets Stacey Veldran, a longtime Curbelo employee, he feels more like a staked goat than Skinny's secret ally, escaping narrowly from repeated attacks on his life. The story unfolds gradually while Tony learns secrets about his heritage and the imminent danger to his father, whom Tony resolves to save, despite the deep gulf between them. Readers will be stunned by the power of this provocative novel.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Low dealings and violent acts abound in this crisp thriller about the murky underside of New Orleans. 'You know what a shit your father is. . . . He's the one who put you in jail." Thus Skinny, the ex-addict undercover cop, introduces himself to Tony Curbel. Curbel has gone to jail rather than implicate his family in drug smuggling; now he has second thoughts about the bargain he has made. The only way out is to spy on his father and uncle, who are suspected of "buying" children in Central America and setting them up in menial jobs here in return for wages. Tony's trust in his family evaporates as he learns of their dealings. This novel, ending on a curiously unresolved note, nevertheless projects an intensity of atmosphere that sweeps the reader along. David Keymer, SUNY Coll. of Technology, Utica
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.