If anyone should ask me to define the word "noir," I think I would direct them to the nearest copy of A Case of
You. This story embodies all of the dark features associated with noir. Dark setting, dark characters, dark plot,
and the ending... well, you’ll just have to read it. This is one of the most compelling books that I’ve read in
quite some time.
The story begins when a homeless street lady wanders into the Salamander, a Toronto Jazz club. It’s open mic
night and much to the dismay of the jazz trio, the lady wants to sing. Adhering to their "anything goes" policy,
they bring her onstage to have a shot at Hoagy Carmichael—Johnny Mercer’s classic "Skylark." The mysterious
lady totally captures the audience with her masterful rendition of the song but as quick as you can say, "A Star is
Born" she fades back into the night.
Andy Curran, the drummer from the jazz trio, finally tracks the singer down. He finds her begging coins in a
transit station and eventually convinces her to return to the club as a paid singer. The girl, Olivia Saint, is
very unwilling to share much information about her personal life or her background. Andy doesn’t pretend to
understand the reasons for all of the secrecy, but he knows that Olivia is a once in a lifetime talent and an
intriguing woman and that’s enough for him.
And then one night two dangerous looking men show up at the club, seize Olivia and run off into the darkness
leaving Andy with a black eye and sore ribs.
It’s not considered kidnapping because Olivia seemed to go along willingly. The cops are no help to Andy so he
turns to Private Investigator Shannon O’Brien. O’Brien and her unorthodox cohort Jackie Goode are able to trace
Olivia to a rehab facility in California. It’s a high security place intended for people of means. But it’s a place
with a peculiar reputation and a sinister aura. The detectives need to get inside.
As the story unfolds, it becomes known that Olivia is the wayward daughter of an extremely wealthy family with
more skeletons in their closets than in the family burial plot. It seems as if Olivia has been sent to the
institution to keep her out of the way... and quiet.
This book is so much more than I expected. I can’t say enough good things about it. But there was one part that
I absolutely hated. You’ll have to read it to find out what that was.