I've never ready anything in this genre before of "hard boiled detective fiction," but really rather enjoyed this book, and am glad that I had the opportunity. The plot was compelling in the cadence of its twists and turns, and there was even an appreciable holding back of certain graphic details which the author didn't have to do, but which made it still feel like an older style. I would definitely recommend this book to people who are fascinated with detective noir. ( )

No Solace in Death, a new hardboiled detective novel from new author Douglas Herle is a good beginning novel. According to a summary of the book blurb, this noir genre murder mystery follows the story of private detective Benjamin Thomas who is hired to find Beatrice Chasingly, a woman with a troubled past. Ben follows a trail of dead bodies down a rabbit hole where he uncovers a sinister plot, certain to change America's future. His final showdown against the conspirators not only has him facing death, but the loss of his soul. The first half of the book is well put together and very enjoyable. The second half slows down and gets off the rails for a little while, making the story a little hard to follow, but Douglas Herle pulls it all back together to finish strong. Overall, the majority of the book is a good read and I look forward to his next book. I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers program. ( )

To paraphrase Eddie Muller of Noir Alley, No Solace in Death is the noir stained debut novel by Doug Herle. Filled with many unredeemable characters, especially the main protagonist, the book is a marvel of a convoluted plot, well written and utterly enjoyable.

Hired by woman to find her missing sister, private detective Benjamin Thomas, an unrepentant alcoholic, soon links her disappearance to that of a kidnapped boy. He finds himself drawn deeper into the mystery, while confronting crooked cops and duplicitous characters. Thomas is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve met in a novel, but couldn’t help plugging for him.

Mr. Herle brought 1963 to life, as did his vivid descriptions of seedy locations. His writing was top notch. I highly recommend No Solace in Death.