Amateur detective, Neal Carey, is busy building a non-detective life for himself when he's asked to take on 'a little simple assignment'… He's to train this hick sounding young woman how to talk and conduct herself so that she has credibility as a witness in an important trial. Of course, if you've read any of the other Neal Carey books, you know immediately that this is neither a little or a simple assignment and quickly turns into murder and mayhem. Don Winslow is truly a gifted story teller and writer. My bookshop tells me that he has a new book coming out this year. I can't wait! ( )

Winslow's books generally fall into two broad categories. There are the lengthy novels filled with backstories and social history and flashbacks like "The Dawn Patrol," "The Winter of Frankie Machine," "The Kings of Cool," and "A Cool Breeze on the Underground." The other category is the straight ahead thrillers based on characters developed in the backstory novels. These include "Savages," "The Gentlemen's Hour" and the four Neal Carey books that followed "Cool Breeze." This book falls into the later category. While it lacks some of the depth and history that sets Winslow apart from other thriller writers, it is certainly a fine read as a thriller.

Here, it's a race against time as all kinds of elements coalesce on the figure of a big-haired bimbo whose revelations could unseat a successful televangelist. For one thing, the preacher wants her kept quiet. His wife wants to scratch the woman's eyes out. There is a professional hitman on the loose and a sleaze magazine publisher who wants to get her story or at least the naked truth about this woman in photos. There are all kinds of economic interests that want her quiet to protect their interests. Into this maelstrom steps Neal Carey who is tasked with hiding her and somehow protecting her. The story starts slowly with various shifting points of view, but builds up steam as it moves along. Although it involves blackmail and murder, the story has some humorous points and doesn't take itself too seriously. It is certainly a worthwhile read, although not the best Winslow has to offer. ( )

Neal Carey's task? "Turn this bimbo into America's sweetheart." The bimbo being Polly Paget, the woman who is accusing America's most beloved family man, of rape. If that's not hard enough, EVERYONE wants Polly, for all sorts of reasons!

A good read, fun dialogue and lots of quirky characters! There's a lot going on, and it does end on/around a water slide, as the title hints at! (Is that a spoiler? Nah... can't be... it's on the dang cover...) Hope to read more in this series soon! ( )

#4 in the series. "Neal Carey would rather finish his dull doctoral thesis, but his new assignment from The Bank doesn't sound dangerous. He's got to turn Polly Paget, a gum-chewing foul-mouthed big-haired broad into a perfect lady in time to testify in a rape case against Jack Landis, head of the Family Cable Network. But Polly isn't cooperating, and everyone is on her trail, including a former FBI agent, an obsessive-compulsive hitman, the Mafia, a porn prince, and a slew of tabloid reporters." - St. Martin's jacket notes. The humour is better here, but this is a strange series, noir and hard for me to like. ( )