Surely this author fell off a park bench after years of people watching in the French Quarter. Characterizations are believable and quickly developed in the compact and economic fashion suited a page turner. Flawed protagonist, Gallegher, possesses honorable (and not so honorable) attributes that bring you on his team. I liked it in the vein of a Mike Hammer tale with Stacy Keach, a likeable and standup guy just two bucks short of a tip who gets knocked on his keister, gets up, falls for a sinister vixen, but in the end, remains true to self, and maybe, just maybe, slips the double cross.