Lisette Kingman is hoping to retrace the steps of her father's final journey along the famed Route 66. Her ultimate goal is the $200,000 her father stashed somewhere along the way, but Kevin suspects she is also searching for some truths that will allow her to let go of the past and move on with her future. Also along for the ride, although always a few miles behind are John Kingman's former mob friends, with the very dangerous Mace Spanno hot on their trail.

Using a Route 66 travel guide and her father's notations, Lisette and Kevin follow his trail from Illinois to St. Louis, through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, to Arizona, where they are cornered by not one, but two groups of John's former mob associates. Lisette and Kevin find themselves separated on their final leg of the journey, but Kevin thinks he knows just the thing that will get Lisette away from everything she hates and is afraid of.

West on 66 is a traditional, gritty, noir tale. Somewhere between a deputy sheriff and a private eye on this trip, Kevin uses his connections as a legitimate lawman to his advantage, but he gets away with a lot more than he would be able to if he were on official business. Lisette is typical of the women found in these tales, hard on the outside, easy on the eyes, and soft and vulnerable on the inside, a side Kevin makes sure he never takes advantage of, despite her offers. Kevin's '57 Chevy is also a central character, the one he is closest to in life; it does seem at times that the car understands him and responds to his needs.

James H. Cobb has created an atmosphere so vivid that the reader will feel in the center of the story, whether in the run-down sections of St. Louis, or in the dry, barren deserts. The pace of the novel is quick, propelling the plot forward, quickening as Lisette and Kevin get closer and closer to their destinations. West on 66 is a fast, enjoyable read for those longing for a time long-gone and a long dusty trip down the old Mother road, Route 66.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry