Modern Collins (11) : Payoff

"Payoff" by Hartley Howard is an unsubtle tale of a hard boiled private investigator who sweats a lot and takes a lot of taxis. The story is fairly enjoyable, if not that unique. It never quite manages to reach top gear. There is a good mix of crime and spy drama.

The problem with the story though is the predictability. It isn't a bad read and will certainly pass the time of day but you probably won't want to ever read it again.