Ray Stokes owns fine things, but doesn’t care about them. He enjoys the company of brazen women, but doesn’t respect them. He has an appetite for excess, but his temperament is less indulgent. Gruff, lecherous, and rude, Ray has never let his brutish personality get in the way of his lifestyle. In fact, his line of work practically demands it. So when his employer, a harsh man named Walter, calls Ray in for a lucrative job, Ray gets to work. Walter is a man accustomed to getting exactly what he wants, and his current obsession belongs to a clergyman in Boston. Specifically, it is Hessman’s necklace, a coveted emerald and gold piece that is frequently seen around the neck of the reverend’s secretary. Ray packs his bags and heads east, determined to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to retrieve the jewelry from his next conquest, Merriam Woodcroft. But Ray is in for a few surprises. Merriam might work for a church, but she’s no prude. She’s intelligent, sharp-tongued, and is currently sleeping with the reverend. Getting close enough to lift the necklace might be more difficult than he figured, but Ray’s charm has gotten him through tighter spots, and disappointing Walter is not an option. This hard-headed career thief won’t walk away empty-handed, no matter how messy things get.
A snarky crime-noir with a decadent streak, Hessman’s Necklace follows a high-rolling hustler with a taste for other people’s treasures. Ray doesn’t call the shots, but he’s still a bad guy—no question. He’s witty, wry, and an over-the-top criminal cliche who is so easy to root for. His dangerous dance with Merriam is fun to read, and her character’s secrecy adds another layer to the mystery surrounding the necklace and the church’s dubious sanctum. Between factual historical references, sports trivia, pop cultural references, and details on priceless art, the storytelling includes such reverence for Walter’s beloved fictional artifacts that you’ll believe Ray is truly on the verge of finding a long-lost piece of verifiable history. At times, the prose veers into affectation, and the appearance of cultural and linguistic anachronisms disrupts the plot’s momentum, undercutting its dramatic tension. However, the narration trades a frayed aesthetic for punchy storytelling, embracing all the grit, grime, and sleazy slime the retro thriller genre was made for. Classing up crime and giving noir a gutsy new gloss, Hessman’s Necklace is a rough-and-rowdy ride with a shiny 1950s sheen.
