What I like best about this book is its setting - although Adams calls it Aquatown, anyone with a passing acquaintance with South Dakota knows that the novel's setting is Watertown. Who would think that such a classic noir mystery would have such a setting? Nevertheless, this book is noir at its best - sly dialogue, shady characters, tough broads and a smart, under-appreciated protagonist. I love the Nordic surnames, the descriptions of the dry plains, the hard-scrabble townspeople, the surprise sophistication, the just-below-the-surface sensuality, the world-weary cops. This book was, deservedly, nominated for a Shamus. I'll read every book in the series that I can find. Five stars! ( )