As August attempts to find Terry and recover the stolen software, he first learns that the company demonstrating the software feels they have a legitimate contract with Bishop. Rather than going back to Bishop with this information, August assumes Terry acted without permission and that the signature on the contract is forged.

A tip from one of Bishop’s other girls, Jodie, sends August to an underground S & M establishment, where he receives his first beating of the book. Realizing he must have been set up, August should have learned to trust no one, but he nonetheless invites Jodie to a jazz session he is playing in that night. On the way home, he not only receives another beating, but his cherished sting bass is destroyed as well.

Even more determined to find Terry, August arrives at her apartment, only to find the body of the president of the rival computer company. At this point, against Bishop’s former wishes, the police are brought in. Once the whole story is brought to light, Bishop fires August in a fit of anger. It can only be surmised that August has taken the attacks personally, because he continues to investigate these odd people on his own, with occasional help from the police and a PI wanna be - the drag queen, former secretary of the computer company, Chris Duckworth, a likely candidate to appear in future novels.

The Immortal Game is a fast-paced mystery with a good solid base. San Francisco is definitely the quintessential private eye town and Mark Coggins takes full advantage of it liberally using familiar neighborhoods and landmarks. Those familiar with San Francisco will be comfortable following August on his adventures, but readers not familiar with the Bay area will quickly get a feel for the surroundings.

An understanding of chess is not necessary to enjoy the book and Coggins supplies the needed information, such as references to the famous Immortal Game, so readers unfamiliar with the game will not feel left out. One obvious thing overlooked by August until the very end is Terry’s ability to destroy or steal every last copy of Bishop’s game. Even those unfamiliar with software production would guess Bishop must have stashed a copy elsewhere for safekeeping.

Coggins has a good ear for dialogue and the pace of the mystery makes a quick, enjoyable read. August is an appealing character with more to him than meets the eye and will make an interesting character to know more in future outings. An odd partner, Chris Duckworth, will make an fascinating contrast to August, forming an unusual, but enjoyable team.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry