This book has a 'slice of life' flavor. I especially liked that the author didn't try to make his cases more exciting or bigger than they were. He drifted from normal duty like guarding presidential candidates or security-type details into a truly scary assignment to pose as a hired assassin. There were many details of the racetrack and horse trade which I found informative if not gripping. But the style of writing was steady and Palumbo kept my interest. There were some strangely personal details of his life which made me wonder what else he might write in the future?