This is an interesting tale that captures your attention even though the present-day murder doesn't take place until about 25% into the story. With that type of setup, you get to know the characters, and they're a fascinating cast with amusing nicknames. For instance, Antonelli was Butt Plug and Bakalis was Aardvark because of his prominent nose. Between the realistic camaraderie and the background stories, for me it was more than the typical thriller. 
 I liked the family dynamic between Gus and his wife and kids. Gus is married to a black woman, but while every other character was clearly described by their physical features and race upon introduction in the book, she was not, which was odd. However, the author didn't skirt the issues of race, which I thought was refreshing because people do talk about race in interracial relationships, and people do notice other races. That aspect was very realistic. 
 I would have given the book 5 stars because it kept me entertained, but I couldn't because of the ending. 
 (view spoiler)[All the other mysteries in the book were solved except the main one, which was disappointing because I have certain expectations when I read a mystery. While the reader finds out who the killer is (possibly), there is no real justice because the reader is left to assume that the killer will be caught, but he's never actually caught in the story. Considering the heinous nature of the crimes, I wanted justice, but I was left to assume that it will happen instead of actually seeing it happen. (hide spoiler)] 
 Otherwise, I enjoyed the story and tried to find other books with the same characters, but it looks like this was a one-time deal.