Publishers will often send out advance copies of books so that I will have the opportunity to read them before the books are officially published. I am always reading something and I'll usually finish a book before starting the next one. Usually. Now and then I'll receive a book by one of my favorite writers and I'll instantly drop whatever book I was reading so that I can start reading the latest by one of those authors whose work I treasure. Philip Kerr was one of those authors. Last year I