Things didn't go easy for Cicero Lamont. Cicero was a drug merchant dealing in massive quantities of drugs and making huge profits. But, he also made a lot of enemies. Yes, things didn't go easy for Cicero when one night he was slammed in a hit-and-run. Or, at least that’s what private detective Nick Crane is told when meeting a prospective client. Cicero’s daughter, Jade, is at her wits' end. First there was Cicero’s hit and run; then she learns that her mom committed suicide, and now her brother, Richie, is missing. Jade hires Nick to find Richie and to track down whoever murdered their father. Nick soon discovers that something isn't quite right about the death of her father, and possibly the suicide of her mother. And, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Nick also learns that there is money, a lot of money, at stake and a host of criminals looking to get their hands on it. And his troubles start there as he and his associates' lives are quickly in jeopardy. Can he solve the case before harm can come to his client, and his family and friends? Only time will tell.

Cicero’s Dead by Patrick H. Moore is a very well written private detective story. I was a little surprised at the beginning with the protagonist Nick Crane. Yes a private detective, but also a family man. Things were a little slow at first, but as the suspense began to build so did the action. The author also introduced a varied group of supporting characters with diverse backgrounds that helped move the story along very nicely. This book has it all; strong characters, great dialogue, and a superior plot. A very good read indeed.

Jade's father dies, then her mother commits suicide. Worried for her brother, Richie, whom she cannot locate and with whom she is to share her father's $30 million estate, Jade engages the services of private investigator, Nick Crane, in Cicero's Dead by Patrick H. Moore. Nick enlists the assistance of his friend, Bobby Moore, a somewhat troubled soul, "225 pounds of rock-hard Vietnam vet, with an in-your-face attitude, who wears shorts 300 days a year showing off thick hairy thighs, and a titanium prosthesis, courtesy of a Vietcong Dole pineapple mine." Nick learns that Cicero, well known to have been drug dealing, did not die in the manner in which the reports indicated. Further, though Richie is found, the company he keeps, one Arnold Clipper, is of concern, as Clipper controls Richie, emotionally manipulating the impressionable and needy young man. Add in the family attorney, James Halladay, who may have an agenda of his own, a friend of Jade and Richie's who is murdered during the course of the investigation, complicated interpersonal relationships, and believable and engaging dialogue, and you have the makings of a great story.

Patrick H. Moore's Cicero's Dead will keep you turning pages. Indeed, I was able to tick off all the points of a story well-told with this one: (1) I enjoyed my time reading and did not want to put the book down; (2) I looked forward to continuing whenever the opportunity presented itself; (3) I was led through an engaging tale, complete with sometimes sympathetic, sometimes despicable characters to a satisfying conclusion; and (4) I will look forward to reading more of Moore's work. If you are longing for an engaging adventure, well told, look no further than Cicero's Dead.