Created by Michael A. Black
This P.I. can definitely kick your ass.
That’s because RON SHADE is not just a tough Army vet turned tough-guy Chicago P.I.–he’s a tough Army vet turned tough-guy Chicago P.I. really into competitive kickboxing.
So don’t get him pissed, okay?
In his debut, A Killing Frost (2002), he’s hired to find an illegal immigrant by his fiancée. When the missing man turns up floating dead in a canal, and there are conflicting stories from the dead man’s employer and his fellow workers, Ron realizes there’s something more going on. It was an impressive launch, drawing huzzahs (and blurbs) from Andrew Vachhs and Sara Paretsky.
Black, an Illinois police officer himself, has since followed it up with  Windy City Knights (2004), A Final Judgement (2006) and Dead Ringer (2008), which he co-wrote with Julie Hyzy, which partners Shade with Hyzy’s TV reporter sleuth Alex St. James. Since then, Black has written a slew of novels and short stories, and created other rough tough he-man dudes, including retired 1940s private eye Vince Pope.
NOVELS
- A Killing Frost (2002) |Â Buy this book |Â Buy the audio |Â Kindle it!
- Windy City Knights (2004) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- A Final Judgement (2006) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- Winner of the 2007 Lovey Award for Best PI/Police Procedural at Love is Murder.
- Dead Ringer (2008; co-written with Julie Hyzy) | Buy this book | Kindle it!
- Shade and Hyzy’s TV reporter sleuth Alex St. James team up.
Respectfully cobbled together by Kevin Burton Smith.
