NINETOES VS. NOBODY’S ANGEL

Ninetoes grabs his trenchcoat and cigar for some crime noir in Jack Clark’s Nobody’s Angel

TITLE: Nobody’s Angel

AUTHOR: Jack Clark

GENRE: Mystery/Noir

PAGES: 217

FORMAT: Ebook

PRICE: $2.99 (on sale now)

Hey there, book lovers! It’s your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes Loves Books Headquarters. Today, I am looking at Jack Clark’s Nobody’s Angel. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

Eddie Miles is a Chicago cab driver who works the night shift. Sometimes he meets up with other cabbies at a local hangout to share wild tales of various fares. The one story of interest is how cab drivers are being killed. Everyone at the “Round Table” gives dire warnings to be careful. Some of the cab drivers tell one another they have a gun, and they should do the same. One night, Eddie makes a pit stop in an alley and sees a van at the end. He thinks nothing of it, the van pulls away, and Eddie sees something move. Maybe it was the wind moving some trash. Maybe not. Eddie soon finds himself embroiled in two mysteries. Who is killing Chicago’s cab drivers, and who is killing local sex workers? The bigger question is what can Eddie do about it?

Who better to write a book about cab drivers than a cab driver himself? Jack Clark gives us a look at Chicago from the cabbie’s perspective and does not flinch. We get the good, the bad, and the very ugly. There is enough authenticity in this book to make you taste the stale air in the cab as it sucks the other cabs’ exhaust in. I got a feel for the streets and locations, and I have never been to Chicago.

What is interesting is that the mystery of who is killing the cab drivers is almost secondary to the tour you take of Chicago with

Eddie Miles. It comes in fleeting glimpses until Eddie starts giving it some thought, and then it is a game of cat and mouse where the cat keeps missing the mouse until the end. As far as the mystery of who is killing the prostitutes, I did not get a clear sense of resolution.

The writing is sharp, and I really got behind the main character. What drilled the novel into my brain was that each chapter started with various rules that each Chicago cab driver must adhere to, and how each rule applied to the chapter. What was even more fun was seeing the blatant disregard the cabbies had for certain rules and their own safety. It was refreshing to see the old timers give the rookie advice on where to go, which fares to avoid, and general rules for maintaining his own safety. Of course, most of this went over the rookie’s head, and to see Eddie’s take on it gave you a sense of this rookie not lasting long, yet he does.

Would I recommend this book to my friends? Yes.

Will I buy more books by the author? I already did.

Is this book worth the money? YES!

I give this one 4.5 bookmarks out of 5!

Until the next time, happy reading!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.