The Angel Gang

By Ken Kuhlken

As The Angel Gang begins, thoughtful, capable ex-private detective Tom Hickey is married to the delicate Wendy, whose unworldly innocence and faith in her “angels” provides her with a stronger shield against evil than even Hickey’s devotion and the gun he carries. Hickey is drawn away from their idyllic retreat in Tahoe to come once more to the aid of Cynthia, the young singer who caused him so much trouble in The Venus Deal. But he is summoned back hastily when criminals employed by one of Hickey’s several old enemies abduct the pregnant Wendy. The rush to rescue her becomes an almost unbearably taut drama whose climax is as surprising as it is heartrending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
• Release date: May 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9781615951093

Ken Kuhlken

Ken Kuhlken's stories have appeared in ESQUIRE and numerous other magazines, been honorably mentioned in BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES, and earned a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship.His novels include MIDHEAVEN, finalist for the Ernest Hemingway Award for best first fiction book, and the Hickey family mysteries: THE BIGGEST LIAR IN LOS ANGELES; THE GOOD KNOW NOTHING; THE VENUS DEAL; THE LOUD ADIOS, Private Eye Writers of America Press Best First PI Novel; THE ANGEL GANG; THE DO-RE-MI, finalist for the Shamus Best Novel Award; THE VAGABOND VIRGINS; THE VERY LEAST; and THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING.His five-book saga FOR AMERICA, is together a long, long novel and an incantation, a work of magic created to postpone the end of the world for at least a thousand years.His work in progress is a YA mystery.His WRITING AND THE SPIRIT advises artists seeking inspiration. He guides readers on a trip to the Kingdom of Heaven in READING BROTHER LAWRENCE.Also, he reads a lot, plays golf, watches and coaches baseball and softball, teaches at Perelandra College, and hangs out with his daughter when she comes home from her excellent college back east.

Reviews for The Angel Gang

[jastbrown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This novel returns to tell us more of Wendy, the abused innocent, from the first Hickey story, The Loud Adios and of Cynthia, the talented but troublesome lounge singer from The Venus Deal. Most probably the only reason that I gave the second book four stars instead of five was the author's neglect of the very simpatico Wendy. Once again, excellent and original storytelling!