Tom’s law practice is in Mobile, Alabama, which compounds the difficulties as the alleged murder took place in Apalachicola, Florida. Tom is undaunted, however, as he calls in his friend Joey. In Tom’s estimation, Joey is the best private investigator in the world. Not surprisingly, the duo soon discovers the death is probably mob related, thus increasing the tact with which the case must be handled. To see justice done, and keep Carli safe from both the mob and her father could prove to be a very difficult assignment.

Containing many action scenes, Dog Island is a fast paced thriller, involving some less than upstanding members of society. The bad guys in this one are completely amoral. Carli’s father, for instance, will willingly sacrifice his daughter for his own interests. The good guys, are, of course, the opposite, but, they operate outside the law as it benefits them. In truth, what passes for the law is somewhat shady itself, and part of the suspense is built up through the reader not being sure who the trustworthy law enforcement officials are.

The characters are well drawn, especially Tom, Susan, and Joey’s love interest, an ex-stripper named Loutie Blue. This lady is hard as nails, having seen the worst the world has to offer, yet she has survived. It is an education to watch her react in stressful situations. As author Stewart describes her talents, “The level of self control... was amazing and sad and a little frightening.”

As in most action thrillers involving the underbelly of society, there are numerous scenes of violent confrontation, graphically described. This book is NOT for the squeamish. The plot becomes somewhat convoluted as various criminals fight for their own personal agendas. In some cases, it is not really clear what side a given character is on, even if his title would indicate the law. A focused mind and several hours of uninterrupted reading are assets for the enjoyment of this book.

Mr. Stewart goes to considerable effort to provide accurate physical descriptions of his characters, making them easy to visualize. His description of his main protagonist’s hand as “a soft lawyer’s hand” is in marked contrast to the hand of Willie Teeter who works on ships. Willie’s handshake with Tom is described as follows: Tom” reached out an shook a limp, calloused hand; and (he) was struck, not for the first time, by how softly most men who work with their hands shake hands with other men.”

Although the basic premise of the plot is simple, the numerous and diverse elements of criminality in this story make it much more difficult to follow. The vivid descriptions of violent scenes may well put off those that might otherwise enjoy Mr. Stewart’s capable character development, though it is possible to speed read the most gory passages and still get a good grasp of the novel

--Andy Plonka