Who Shot Longshot Sam? — Paul Engleman

Corralled into entering a handicapping contest at a seedy New Jersey racetrack by one of his dubious pals, New York private eye Mark Renzler is on hand when master handicapper Longshot Sam Natoli catches a sniper's bullet. Natoli was the odds-on favorite to win the $50,000 Super-Pick prize, and now the contest â€" and the murder investigation â€" is wide open. The field of suspects includes nasty ex-cons, sexy ex-wives, jealous rival handicappers, heavily armed security guards, and crooked local politicians. With Richard Nixon's final days unfolding in the background, it's up to Renzler -- abetted by his avant-garde artist pal Nate Moore and his teenaged seminary student nephew Herbie â€" to solve the puzzle of Who Shot Longshot Sam? Praise for Paul Engleman and Who Shot Longshot Sam? "A raffish, fast-moving tale, spun by a deft storyteller." -- Studs Terkel "A slick, wise mystery that starts at a clip and never falters. Engleman has a winning series in the Renzler chronicles." -- Chicago Magazine "The wisecracks are funny and the allusions clever. Engleman, like Chandler, doesn't take himself too seriously." -- Publishers Weekly "Renzler's easygoing, sardonic narration keeps things moving along on a jaunty, not-too-serious level." -- Kirkus Reviews "Crisply written, highly entertaining. Breezy and irreverent, Engleman works in 70s touches without wallowing in nostalgia." -- Chicago Sun-Times "Damon Runyon couldn't have created a more entertaining and colorful collection of characters." -- Playboy "An expert whodunit." -- Chicago Tribune