I like Jack Palace as a character - he is no frills and no holds barred. The plot is an interesting one, too. However, for me, the big appeal of this book is the writing style which is so crisp and which features such great dialogue that the story is almost secondary.

Jack can't get a break. He's trying to build a security company but his past has come back to haunt him in a big way. He's caught between Sammy, a crime boss, and his friend Grover, who both killed one of Sammy's guys AND is trying to rob Sammy's counting house. Sammy wants Grover dead and he wants Jack to do it. How does Jack get out of this? No spoilers from me but this one is, like the earlier books, a tour of the underbelly of Toronto. It does help to have read at least one of the preceding books and know that Pasquella has packed a lot (including the problems of resuming a relationship with an ex-wife) into a relatively slim novel. It's very plot driven, though, and quite entertaining. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Would make a good movie.

When it comes to hard-boiled crime fiction, Season of Smoke ticks all the boxes. A conflicted anti-hero, mobsters out for blood, and steamy sex scenes that'd make Dashiell Hammett blush.
Rich with authentic, crisp, and clean dialogue, it reads like an Elmore Leonard film adaptation where we're allowed to hide out behind the sets and listen in. The familiar haunts of Toronto were an added plus, making me homesick for the sordid urban landscape of my beautiful hometown.
Recommended to all those who love their crime fiction served fast-paced and straight-up (and who doesn't?). Jack Palace will not disappoint.
Many thanks to Negalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.