Herman Jackson used to run a bookie operation in Detroit, but his bail bond business seems much safer. When a steady client named Charlie Victor is murdered, and the killers threaten Herman Jackson, he wonders just how safe his new business is. Charlie had a huge box of money stashed somewhere that he called his "frag box." Charlie's killers want the box, and they think Jackson has it.Jackson wants justice for Charlie, but with plenty of money problems of his own, he also wants the box. The search takes him into the hiding places of St. Paul's homeless community, up to Minnesota's Iron Range, and finally, to the darkest places of his own heart.This second novel by Richard A. Thompson (after 2008's Fiddle Game) has his signature style--old school noir updated to modern times. I especially liked the relationships Jackson has with his oddball co-workers and hired helpers: Agnes, Wide-Track Wilkie, and the Proph. Newspaper reporter Anne Packard is new to this volume, and I hope will become a recurring character. Her sharp dialog and realistic view of the world are a perfect match for wise-cracking Herman Jackson. Scenes from Jackson's past in Detroit as well as flashbacks to Charlie's experiences in Vietnam are as heartbreaking as they are believable.I really, really loved this book. In an era when it seems that every murder mystery has to have a cute gimmick, it is refreshing to find a straightforward story full of compelling characters doing interesting things, with a surprising yet convincing ending. I'd say "they don't write them like that anymore," but thanks to Richard A. Thompson, they do.