Loren Swift #01 - Foul Shot

Author Doug Hornig (b. 1943) is a New York native that graduated from George Washington University in 1965. He went on to work in various industries as a factory worker, taxi driver, bar singer, clerk, photographer, and journalist. He authored the Loren Smith four-book series of private-eye novels set in Charlottesville, a small college town in northern Virginia. The books were published by Scribner from 1984 through 1988. I am starting with the debut, Foul Shot, which was nominated for an Edgar.

Loren Swift was born and raised in Charlottesville. He flunked out of the University of Virginia (UVA) as a freshman and ended up in the American military serving a stint in the Vietnam War. He is divorced, has an old VW he calls Clementine, is a dedicated UVA basketball fan, and he works as the city's one and only private-eye – a career choice that has kept him living check to check. 

The book begins with Swift arriving at an enormous mansion owned and occupied by the Majors family. When Swift arrives he meets John and Elizabeth Majors and is provided a potential case. Their daughter has gone missing from UVA and they are worried. Swift takes the case for $100 per day including expenses. On the way out of the deep mansion he is interviewed briefly by “The Colonel”, the girl's grandfather. He tells Swift he doesn't trust Elizabeth and wants to have her investigated. Swift politely rejects the offer because he concentrates on one job at a time.

The book then flourishes into a captivating sleuth thriller with Swift digging up intricate details about the Majors family. The plot begins to focus on the family's attorney and his motivation for blackmail. When Swift discovers a deep and dark secret concerning a Majors family member he is able to connect the blackmail pattern. However, there is more than one crime being committed and that enhances the overall story and drives it into a frenzied pace. 

I have a fondness for the book due to growing up in southwestern Virginia and experiencing the Charlottesville area on a number of visits. The book's title represents the inclusion of a character paramount to the story, a highly touted UVA basketball player. The rivalries I watched as a kid between UVA and North Carolina are highlighted in this book. But, beyond the nostalgia, it is a fantastic crime-fiction novel set in the world of college basketball. 

Hornig's inspiration is Robert Parker's Spenser, evident with Swift even reading a Spenser novel in the book (The Judas Goat). He's glib, sarcastic, humorous, and enjoys Irish whiskey. Through first-person narrative the reader uncovers the clues in traditional fashion, but kudos to Swift for bringing an unexpected payoff to the finale. There are a number of private-eye references made and the book utilizes a number of genre troupes that keep the pages turning. 

Foul Shot scores as a smooth page-turner and Hornig clearly has a gift for propelling the reader into some dismal places – a desired destination when it comes to murder mysteries. I'm looking forward to the remainder of the series. Highly recommended. Get yours HERE.