The Little Death, By Michael Nava

In the first book of the acclaimed Henry Rios series, a lawyer doggedly pursues a murder investigation into the lions’ den of San Francisco’s moneyed elite
A burnt-out public defender battling alcoholism, Henry Rios has reached a crossroads in his life. While interviewing his former lover Hugh Paris in jail, Rios goes through the motions, but notices that Paris is far more polished and well off than the usual suspects arrested for drug possession. Paris is mysteriously bailed out—but a few weeks later, he turns up on Rios’s doorstep. Skittish and paranoid, he admits to using heroin and says he’s afraid that his wealthy grandfather wants to murder him.

Rios tries to help Paris get clean, but when Paris is found dead of an apparent heroin overdose, Rios is the only one who considers foul play. Determined to find Paris’s killer, Rios knocks on San Francisco’s most gilded doors, where he discovers a family tainted by jealousy, greed, and hate. They’ve been warped by a fortune someone’s willing to kill—and kill again—to possess.

At once an atmospheric noir mystery and a scathing indictment of a legal system caught in the maws of escalating corruption, The Little Death chronicles one man’s struggle to achieve true justice for all.

The Little Death is the first book in the Henry Rios mystery series, which also includes Goldenboy and Howtown.

                I have learned in the past 6 months of my reading history that I seem to enjoy the Murder Mysteries that are out there.  There have been many that I have read, but only a few of them stick out when I think that about genre.  The Little Death by Michael Nava is one of those few.  

                In the beginning of this book I was worried that I wasn’t going to like it because the main character is a lawyer, and some of the books like that I have read are very confusing at times.  So imagine my surprise when I was reading this and yes, there was lawyer talk in it, but it wasn’t so much that I couldn’t understand what was going on.  Michael seems to have a way with knowing that some people might not understand what is going on with all the lawyer talk so he explained it in a way that you could follow along.

                The main character, Henry, was a star in my book from the start.  I enjoyed his character immensely, he was very likeable.  I liked how when he set his mind to something, he went through with it.  Even though this is a book, (And yes I do understand that!) the character didn’t seem forced.  Hugh was amazing for the short time that he was in the book; I thought that his character was well written also.  

                Even the secondary characters in this book were well described so that you knew who was who even just by the mention of their name later in the book.  

                The only issue that I have with this book is how it seemed that Henry’s character seemed to jump from one bed to another.  He had met Hugh and they started a relationship, but then almost right after Hugh died, Henry was back with his ex.  

                Besides that, overall I think this was a great book and I would love to read more into the series!

This book is currently $8.19 US Dollars on Amazon.

To purchase your own copy of this book, just click the picture above and it will take you directly to the US Amazon page to buy your own!