"A High-Speed Historical Mystery"

In his third Sam McCain mystery, Ed Gorman throws PI/attorney McCain into the middle of the Joe McCarthy- induced Red Scare. Even in smalltown Black River Falls, Iowa, the Red Scare has turned friend against friend, causing everyone to suspect the other of being a Russian spy. The situation goes from unsettling to downright frightening when Richard Connors, an outspoken liberal long accused of being a communist, stumbles into Sam's apartment and dies. This sets off a string of events that will endanger McCain's life more than once and threaten to rip apart the once close-knit community of Black River Falls.

Set in the late 1950's, WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? explores the attitudes of that day and age and reminds us how far we have come. This is a PI book without cellular phones, color television or cocaine. A book in which computers don't exist and main characters drive Studebakers. Gorman sets the tone perfectly and blends factual information seamlessly into his fictitious plot.

Main character Sam McCain is a joy to solve a mystery with. Spunky, funny and brave, he's a normal guy pushed into extraordinary circumstances and we can relate to many of his emotions and actions. This isn't the PI that always has the girls swooning and never loses his cool (a la Spenser for Hire); this is the PI who is pining after a girl he'll never get and ends up with his head in the toilet after one too many drinks.

Weighing in at under 200 pages, WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? moves along quickly, never getting bogged down in excess dialogue or detail. Quirky and amusing, the book succeeds on many levels. The characters, who have obviously been explored in the past two McCain books, are still fleshed out well enough for a new reader to understand them. The mystery is satisfying, plausible and well-paced. The writing crackles with energy and sarcasm, bringing a smile to the reader's face even as gruesome murders are revealed.

Perfect for lovers of mysteries or historical novels, WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? is a quick read that will leave you hungry for more Sam McCain.

Reviewed by Angela McQuay
Posted February 5, 2003