Trust Me by Peter Leonard

Having crime-writing legend Elmore Leonard as your dad is a lot to live up to, but with this bristling second fiction outing, son Peter almost keeps up the family name. Set in Detroit, with a cast of hapless, amoral baddies, his relentlessly-paced noir caper is well constructed for the most part, and contains some beautifully acerbic dialogue, but a clunky climax and thin character development let it down a tad.

Karen plans to steal $300k that is rightfully hers from an ex-boyfriend and well-connected bookie, but needless to say it doesn’t go according to plan. Cue gormless screw-ups, double and triple crosses, adrenaline-soaked shoot-outs and car chases, violent torture, snappy comebacks and an almost pathological level of plot twists. It’s enjoyable while it lasts, but some unconvincing character decisions towards the end leave a nasty taste, making it a quick burger rather than the gourmet stuff papa Leonard serves up.

(Faber)