“Boca Daze.” By Steven M. Forman. Forge. $25.99.
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A strong homage to South Florida and self-deprecating humor elevate “Boca Daze,” Steven M. Forman’s third novel about Eddie Perlmutter, a former Boston cop turned private detective.
Eddie’s retirement in Boca Raton didn’t last long. Called “the Boca Knight” by the media for his one-man tirade against crime, Eddie has opened the aptly named Boca Knights Detective Agency, and business is booming.
In “Boca Daze,” three different cases take Eddie on a lively trek through South Florida and up to Tallahassee to deal with some of the area’s most high-profile crime problems.
An old mobster asks Eddie to look into a “pill mill” that supplied his granddaughter with the illegal pain medication from which she overdosed. Back in the day, Eddie arrested the old criminal many times, but putting a pill mill out of business and seeing the unscrupulous owners prosecuted is the kind of crusade on which Eddie thrives.
Eddie also looks into an investment firm that guarantees returns that seem too good to be true. Third, a street woman named Three Bag Bailey proves to be a poignant partner for Eddie as he looks into the beating of a homeless man.
Set in 2006, “Boca Daze” affectionately showcases South Florida’s recent past. Even Bernie Madoff pops up during the investment firm case. But Eddie has to “forget Madoff for now,” as he concentrates on the case.
The private detective novel is basically a fantasy, based on the Knight Errant legend in which — and this is a very loose interpretation — a roving hero makes it his, or her, mission to right wrongs and protect the underdog. As entertaining as “Boca Daze” is, Eddie isn’t believable, even comparing himself to Superman. Everyone seems to know Eddie, from the toughest gangbanger to legislators, and every law officer, from the local cops to FBI agents, is happy to have Eddie working a case. No one — not even George Clooney and the guy who sells Dos Equis beer — is that welcomed everywhere. While Forman explores Eddie’s anger, the character often becomes more of a caricature.
Still, “Boca Daze” does offer an enjoyable story.