While Drowning in the Desert (Neal Carey Mysteries, Book 5)

Neal Carey was relaxing in a state of near euphoria when he received an all too familiar call. His mentor/surrogate father Joe Graham has a piece of work needing to be performed at the behest of his bosses. The job appears simple on the surface, namely going to Las Vegas and escorting an elderly man from Vegas to Palm Desert, CA. However, simplicity doesn’t appear to be in the cards for Neal. His charge is an old-time stand-up comedian named Nathan Silverstein (aka Natty Silver). Within the first hours of meeting Nathan, Neal loses sight of him. Despite catching up with Nathan, the trip promises not to be an easy one as Nathan proves reluctant to return home and other parties searching for Nathan would prefer he be a hole in the desert.

While Drowning in the Desert is the first-rate finale in the Neal Carey series from author Don Winslow (City on Fire). Neal is self-admittedly flawed but his evolution as a nuanced character continues through the guided strokes of Winslow’s pen. Winslow’s gift for timely humor and exemplary plot twists are highlighted in this swan song for the young amateur detective.