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When the "Ten Best" lists come out after the first of the year, fans of hard-boiled fiction will almost certainly have a space saved for DUTCH UNCLE by Peter Pavia. DUTCH UNCLE is Pavia's first work of fiction; this is somewhat hard to believe, as this assured, steady tale of Miami Beach losers and bottom feeders contains the best elements of Elmore Leonard, Carl Hiaasen, and Richard Stark while still possessing and maintaining its unique voice.
Pavia's protagonist is Harry Healy, a career criminal who has been on a downward trajectory almost from the day he was born. When we meet Healy he is on parole from the latest of a series of incarcerations. He is almost immediately set to get in trouble again, putting his freedom on the line when he is recruited to deliver a "package" of dubious legality for the grand fee of $200. The deal immediately turns south; Healy is almost ripped off when he delivers the package and later finds his employer, Manfred Pfiser --- the Dutch uncle of the tale --- murdered.
As a result, Healy assumes another identity and takes work as a nightclub bouncer in a seedy but popular bar in nearby Fort Lauderdale. A fringe benefit of Healy's job, and a potential turning point in his life, presents itself when he meets Aggie St. Denis, a bartender who is a straight shooter and appears to care for him. Healy, of course, remains true to form and unceremoniously dumps her, fleeing home to New York City while on the verge of again beginning the cycle of repeating his past mistakes.
Pavia does a masterful job here of introducing his readers to two members of Healy's family: his father, a once-famous jazz musician who revels in the memory of the old days, and his wildly successful brother, a famous financial analyst who is one of the major surprises of the book. Healy's trip to New York also provides an unexpected revelation concerning his immediate difficulties. Ultimately, however, Healy realizes that his major problems arise from within, and if he is to change his luck and circumstances, he must first change himself. It appears though that once again his past mistakes will catch up with him before he can undergo any remodeling.
Pavia has an extremely impressive debut here --- one more reason why Hard Case Crime is an imprint to continue watching --- as he deftly combines elements of dark humor, violence, and mystery into a modern morality tale with bits of subtlety and unexpected optimism. You couldn't ask for better, and even if you did, you'd probably never find it. DUTCH UNCLE (and Pavia) needs to be on your must-read list.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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