John Lutz: Dancer's Debt (USA 1988)

From the Publisher:
At first Nudger didn't think anything of the female corpses being fished from the Mississippi. He was disgusted, naturally, but they had no relevance to his case. It was just a horrible scene he had to tolerate while speaking with Lieutenant Hammersmith.

Nudger needs Hammersmith's help. Vietnam vet Jake Dancer has his bottom -- sleepless nights, aimless walks, a yearning for booze, and two thugs harassing him -- and his comely girlfriend, Helen Crane, hires Nudger to find out what or who is behind Jake's misery.

After shadowing Dancer for several days, Nudger decides to follow Helen. Though she's Dancer's girlfriend, she might be the source of his problem and not realize it.

As Nudger's investigation unfolds, and the Mississippi continues to give up new victims, we're introduced to some savagely strange characters. There's Lars Kovar, a sadistic ex-cop turned leg breaker; Brad Marlyk, the crude but well-tailored president of Partners Unlimited escort service; Sam Weld, a suave riverboat gambler reminiscent of Errol Flynn; Otis Heinecker, a reclusive millionaire; and Roni, Heineker's twisted chauffeur.

John Lutz' Alo Nudger novels and stories have established him as one of America's master mystery writer. Dancer's Debt is replete with the sudden convolutions and memorable characters we've come to expect from John Lutz.

John Lutz: Dancer's Debt. A Novel of Suspense Featuring Private Investigator Nudger. St. Martin's Press / Thomas Dunne Books, ISBN: 0312000286 (March, 1988), 212 p.,$16.95.