News travels quickly in the underbelly of Miami society with rumors that indicate Theo played an important role in Reems’ escape. Theo confides to Jack that his contact with his convict friend has been limited to Reems’ unexpected appearance at Theo’s soon to be opened bar.

Theo knows his future reputation depends on his separation from his former inmate friends, but Reems claims to have information about the still unsolved murder of Theo’s momma. Theo has always worshipped his momma and wants her killer to be punished despite the warning his Uncle Cy gives him. Uncle Cy admonishes Theo to let the past remain the past because he might find out something that would be better not to know.

Theo’s connections with those less than upstanding members of Miami society date to his childhood. The police are reluctant to believe that all Theo’s ties have been severed. Thus it comes as no surprise that the police want to talk to Theo when Isaac Reems’ body is found in a dumpster. After all, Isaac had spoken to Theo on the phone only a short time earlier.

Last Call is the seventh of James Grippando’s books featuring Jack Swyteck and Theo Knight. A stand alone book, Lying with Strangers intervened since we last heard of the duo so old friends will be happily reunited. This tale provides some of the back story to Theo’s life while firmly establishing his momma’s importance in his memories. Jack’s personal life, while secondary to Theo’s in this outing, nevertheless gets some attention as Jack gets to know FBI agent Andie Henning better while still maintaining his long distance relationship with Rene, a doctor out to save the less fortunate in Africa.

As many south Florida writers, James Grippando has a story to tell about the region as well. His emphasis in this novel is the “other” Miami which exists populated by gangs. This segment of society has its own language, business, and territorial divisions. To the uninitiated or, perhaps better, uneducated Last Call provides an insight. Theo’s undercover venture into prison proves a stark reality into a situation about which many mystery readers know little.

Grippando also takes a poke at Florida land developers and the many land scams which have made the state famous. Done with a bit of tongue in cheek, the author gives a fair warning to all those who might be tempted by a deal that seems too good to be true.

In the final scenes, which take place on a horse farm, there are some details that don’t ring true. I truly doubt that a barn manager entrusted with the care of expensive horses would leave rocks lying around. The rocks were handy for Theo’s diversions, but a horse stepping on a rock the wrong way could cause serious damage to a leg. In addition, I’m not sure a group of thoroughbreds, presumably mainly stallions, suddenly released from their stalls, would react as the author suggests. These are minor points in an otherwise well researched and very entertaining book.

--Andy Plonka