Milan Jacovich Books

#1 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “A clever plot, a vibrant Cleveland and rural Ohio setting, and a realistically drawn hero make this series one to watch. It exudes much the same sort of charm as the early Spenser novels did.“ — Booklist Introducing Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich), Cleveland’s favorite private eye. Milan, an ex-cop, Vietnam veteran, and former football player, is a private investigator with a master’s degree, a taste for klobasa sandwiches and Stroh’s beer, and a knack for finding trouble. Milan gets a cryptic late-night phone call from high-powered advertising executive Richard Amber, who wants to pay him a thousand dollars for twelve hours of bodyguard service. But when Milan gets to the Amber house in the elegant suburb of Pepper Pike, no one is home. The next morning, Amber’s beautiful but brittle wife hires Milan to find her husband, who, it seems, has disappeared. The search will lead Milan through the haunts of the very rich, including an exclusive country club where the Slovenian American sleuth almost loses his life, and onto some of Cleveland’s meanest streets. He’ll meet Cleveland mob kingpin Don Giancarlo D’Allessandro and his sophisticated but deadly nephew Victor Gaimari, and even cross paths with the governor of Ohio. “Roberts handles the private-eye format with aplomb and takes full advantage of his Cleveland scene . . . Best of all is his Slovenian sleuth, vulnerable and fallible, whom we are likely (and would like) to see more of.” — San Diego Union Tribune

#2 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . . “Slick and tough and plotted to perfection.” — Booklist Polyester leisure suit, white patent leather shoes, matching white belt—that 1970s fashion statement was once unkindly dubbed the “full Cleveland.” And no one wears it with more flair and panache than Buddy Bustamente. Buddy (“he was medium-sized if you happened to be talking about Cape buffaloes”) is the hulking flunky assigned by mob kingpin Victor Gaimari to shadow Cleveland private eye Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich). Milan has been hired to find the perpetrator of a low-level scam who is selling local businessmen ads in a magazine that doesn’t exist. But the modest amount of money involved hardly seems worth the string of bodies he soon turns up. And why does it interest a mobster like Victor and his sugar-addict bird dog, Buddy? Milan starts liking Buddy in spite of himself. But he’s not easily fooled; Buddy is a recent ex-con, and Milan knows that behind the childlike façade and dubious fashion, he is potentially lethal. “Fast-paced and smoothly narrated.” — Washington Post “Tightly plotted and contains rich characterizations painted with a minimalist's brush.” — Drood Review of Mystery “Clever plotting, a fresh locale, and an ingratiatingly human sleuth add up to a winner.” — San Diego Union Tribune

#3 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . . “Roberts combines a strong character and a clever plot with the ethnic diversity that Cleveland provides. He proves that Midwest private eyes can hold their own with the best ones from either coast. ” — Des Moines Register No one is as loyal to old friends as Cleveland private investigator Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich). So when a grade school chum worries his son Paulie might be selling drugs, Milan has no choice but to help. Milan turn up Paulie’s connection, a handsome Jamaican named Deshon who pals around with two baseball-bat wielding thugs and a German shepherd dog who looks like he’s all business. The narcotics business makes curious bedfellows, as Milan discovers during his investigation of a particularly brutal murder; he butts heads with a wily realtor named Christmas, a flamboyant automobile dealer with lofty political ambitions, an edgy street pusher, and his old friends from the Little Italy mob, Don Giancarlo D’Allessandro and Victor Gaimari. Milan also encounters a drug gang unparalleled in their savagery, and unearths a relic from every Clevelander’s childhood that proves to be deadly. “Moves with all the skill and economy of prose that is fast becoming Roberts' trademark.” — Booklist “Another smooth page-turner from Roberts, who keeps the action moving and still fits in some wry observations on parenthood, teenagers, and marriage.” — Kirkus Reviews

#4 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “Roberts is one of the best crime writers around, and The Cleveland Connection is his best effort yet. The plot has all the right ingredients—danger, suspense, intrigue, action—in all the right amounts; Milan Jacovich is the kind of guy we want on our side when the chips are down . . . Don't miss this one.” — Booklist Private investigator Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) is Slovenian-American, but he’s familiar with the varied ethnic groups that make up the city of Cleveland. An elderly Serbian man has gone missing, and when his granddaughter suspects foul play, Milan agrees to take up the search. In the meantime, Milan’s good friend, Plain Dealer reporter Ed Stahl, has written a column critical of the gangster element on Cleveland’s Murray Hill, and is now being threatened and harassed, which brings Milan into direct conflict with a millionaire garbage hauler and an out-of-town muscle punk named Nello Trinetti. The Serbs and the Slovenians traditionally don’t get along too well, but Milan makes inroads into Cleveland’s Serbian community after a shocking murder, eventually coming face-to-face with its unofficial mayor, Lazo Samarzic, an angry and militant man who runs a produce stand in the historic old West Side Market. Hatreds that have simmered for fifty years eventually explode as Milan Jacovich takes on one of his most challenging cases. ”Very good and very tough . . . Les Roberts has written an extremely good novel that is well worth reading by all, not just mystery lovers.” — Armchair Detective “There's an affection for Cleveland and an insistence on its ethnic, working-class life that gives vividness to the detection. Roberts writes with sharp wit, creates action scenes that are drawn with flair, and puts emotional life into a range of people.” — Washington Post

“Packed with unusual heroes, villains, and political twists and turns … a mystery which defies predictability.” — Midwest Book Review #5 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … Every Clevelander understands the lake effect, a weather condition that brings plenty of snow, especially in November when election time rolls around. Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich), the genial Cleveland private eye, has never been a political animal. But he owes a favor to mobster Victor Gaimari, and Milan always pays his debts. So he agrees to play watchdog over a mayoral election in suburban Lake Erie Shores in which dowdy housewife Barbara Corns is challenging incumbent Gayton True. Everything seems calm on the surface—until True’s wife, Princess, is run down in the street just outside downtown Cleveland’s Tower City. It becomes obvious that there is more at stake than the mayor’s chair in a quiet suburban city hall. And when he discovers that the True campaign has employed his old nemesis, disgraced ex-cop Al Drago, who carries a grudge a mile wide, Milan knows he’s in for a lot rougher time of it than simply poll-watching. “A real treat … If you've somehow missed this series, definitely give it a try . . . If you're already a fan, this book will delight you even further.” — Mystery News “Every Jacovich adventure is better than the last, and this one is no exception. An outstanding entry in an outstanding series, and a must for every mystery collection. (Starred review)” — Booklist “The story is nicely fleshed out with characters so vivid you could probably pick them out on the Cleveland streets: Roberts describes them so well, even an out-of-towner knows where he stands.” — Publishers Weekly

#6 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “The wonderful thing about art is that it doesn’t really have to do anything … All that is asked of it is that it be beautiful. It doesn’t work that way with people.” So begins a sortie by Cleveland private investigator Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) into the cutthroat world of fine art. A slumming young heiress, April Delavan, hires Milan to find her most recent boyfriend, a potter who has absconded with $18,000 of her trust fund money. But it doesn’t figure that his disappearance would pique the interest of someone like Victor Gaimari, the elegant and affable mob figure with whom straight arrow Milan seems to be developing a love-hate relationship. Milan soon learns that the former boyfriend may have made a few other enemies, and suddenly, fine art starts looking a little rough around the edges. It turns out truth and beauty don’t always mix well—at least in the art business.

#7 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … Private investigator Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) goes behind the scenes to uncover scandal, ambition, and intrigue at one of Cleveland’s top TV stations as he hunts down the stalker and murderer of a beautiful local television anchor. Milan has just moved his offices to an old building on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in an area called the Flats. There, he receives a surprise visit from a former love interest, Mary Soderberg, who left him for her influential boss, TV executive Steve Cirini. One of their newscasters, the beautiful Virginia Carville, has been murdered, and Cirini, who was having an affair with her, is the chief suspect. Mary wants Milan to bail her cheating boyfriend out of the jam—for old times’ sake. Milan doesn’t like Cirini at all, but takes the case even though he’s unsure of the man’s innocence. Or is the culprit the obsessive station-manager Nicky Scandalios, the longtime anchorwoman Vivian Truscott, or a survivor of child abuse named Violet Grba? For that matter, could it be Milan’s old flame Mary Soderberg herself? “Another fine entry in an outstanding series, Robert's latest is sure to be a hit with readers and reviewers alike.” — Booklist “Former television producer Roberts writes knowingly of the medium; newscaster sleeping with sales manager makes a timely metaphor for the ethics of broadcast journalism. Roberts affectionately weaves in the history and rich ethnic mix of Milan Jacovich's Cleveland turf.” — Publishers Weekly

#8 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … Hotshot young Cleveland lawyer Joel Kerner is shotgunned to death on a lonely beach on the Caribbean island of San Carlos. The local police are inept, and the Cleveland cops can’t operate outside their jurisdiction, so Kerner’s sister Patrice comes to private eye Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) to discover the truth about her brother’s murder. Milan flies to San Carlos to investigate—a pleasant three-day working vacation that doesn’t keep him from getting stabbed in an alley and rousted by a high-level international cop. Back in Cleveland, he asks his best friend, homicide lieutenant Marko Meglich, for some unofficial help. But he runs up against Kerner’s angry father, a world-famous labor attorney, along with the bevy of beautiful women Joel Kerner left behind and a powerful union leader known around town as “The Irish.” Milan marches forward to solve the case, though it will eventually cause him a tragic and insupportable personal loss.

#9 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “Intriguing plot, provocative philosophical dilemmas, and strong Travis McGee-like hero … This is a series that gets better and better, and is strongly recommended for those who like their detectives cut from the classic mold.” — Booklist Hollywood producer Sidney Friedman has chosen Cleveland as the location for his new hope-to-be-blockbuster film, Street Games. The “shoot” is just getting underway, and the film’s star is the movie industry’s most notorious bad boy, Darren Anderson. Friedman hires Cleveland private investigator Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) to watch over the unruly young actor and keep him out of trouble. Milan, still suffering from the tragic loss of his friend, has no interest in moviemaking but signs on just to keep himself from going crazy brooding. Keeping Darren Anderson out of trouble is like keeping your hat dry during a downpour. He’s too rich, too famous, too good-looking, and too young to handle it responsibly. When he’s accused of seducing the fifteen-year-old daughter of a local furniture mogul, Milan gets disgusted and quits the job. But murder isn’t far behind—and suddenly Milan is elbow-deep in all sorts of things that have nothing to do with a Saturday afternoon at the movies. “Roberts puts his story through its paces with vigor and heart.” — Kirkus Reviews “Roberts makes fine narrative use of the unlikely mix of Cleveland's blue-collar ethnic traditions with the fairy tale world of a movie shoot … His Cleveland stories get better and better, offering far more than regional insights and pleasures.” — Publishers Weekly

#10 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “Boston has Spenser. Detroit has Amos Walker. And Cleveland has Milan Jacovich.” — The Plain Dealer Everyone has secrets. But college freshman Jason Crowell is especially guarded when an anonymous feminist organization on campus publicly accuses him of date rape. Jason proclaims his innocence but has no idea who the “Women Warriors” are—or even who his supposed victim is. Jason’s former high school principal, Reginald Parker, believes in the kid. He asks private investigator Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) to uncover the identities of the secret accusers. Milan would prefer to steer clear of this unpleasant case, but Reggie Parker once saved his life (see Deep Shaker), so Milan agrees to investigate. What he finds surprises him—and eventually leads to murder. Milan tangles with Jason’s rigid and unfeeling parents, a mean-spirited campus police chief, and an extremely dangerous gang of youths that wants him dead. He quickly finds himself in more trouble than he ever imagined. “[Milan Jacovich] is a hero one can't help but like. Roberts' polished prose, inventive plots, and pleasantly low-key style add extra appeal to his long-running series.” — Booklist

#11 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “Page turner of the week … a nifty spin on a classic P.I. formula.” — People Magazine Veteran private eye Milan Jacovich (it’s pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) is rarely surprised. But his attention is grabbed one day by a Native American man wearing traditional clothing and waist-length, iron gray braids, sitting across the street from his suburban Cleveland apartment for twelve hours in a driving snowstorm. When the old man is found murdered and floating in the river the very next day, Milan feels the unsettling urge to do something about it. He’s already working on another case—a simple one, he thinks. The CEO of a local toy company has hired him for a background check on his new accountant, David Ream. Milan quickly learns Ream is not at all what he seems to be, and the case gets very messy, very fast. Dancing dangerously between the two cases, Milan runs into more murder and a suspense-filled finish including a shoot-out in the fountain plaza at downtown Tower City. “A solidly paced narrative . . . recommended to readers who enjoy the modern PI knight-errant.” — Booklist

#12 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “Brilliantly plotted, with a powerhouse climax.” — Booklist When Ellen Carnine’s broken body is found 150 feet below the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge in downtown Cleveland, everyone thinks it’s suicide. A terse, sad suicide note has been left on the screen of her home computer. But her grieving father asks private eye Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) to figure out why a bright and successful dot-com executive like Ellen took her own life. Milan is introduced to a different reality by Ellen’s four best female friends, an old lover, her employers, and some of the lowlifes from Cleveland’s meanest streets. The search for the truth leads Milan into the unfamiliar territory of Internet chat rooms, where he learns a great deal about the faceless people who live part of their lives behind a screen, becoming best friends—or bitter enemies—without actually meeting. Milan pushes too far—and uncovers the most brutal and heinous crime he’s ever faced.

#13 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … “[A] roller coaster ride of a mystery … plenty of delicious twists and turns without ever compromising credibility.” — Publishers Weekly A slick con man, posing as a recent immigrant from County Mayo all alone in America, is preying on the clannish loyalties of the Irish community in Cleveland. When Common Pleas Judge Maureen Hartigan realizes she’s been bamboozled, she and her daughter, Cathleen, hire private eye Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) to chase down the swindler. But the con man turns up dead in a skanky motel room, and Milan finds himself tangled in the world of the local Irish godfather, Con McCardle, who is connected with the IRA. Milan also finds himself once again face-to-face with Cathleen Hartigan, an old flame that never quite kindled. Their own feelings clash with the more urgent need to solve a murder. And he learns a few things about Irish customs and cultures—including “the Irish sports pages.” “Entertaining … an excellent reading experience for mystery fans. Jacovich is tough and intelligent and possesses enough self-awareness to make him very good company indeed. Heartily recommended.” — Booklist

“A real treat, whether this is the reader's first introduction to the Cleveland PI or one merely catching up with an old friend.” — Mysterious Reviews #14 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … Going to your high school reunion is never fun. But this time, it’s murder. When Cleveland private eye Milan Jacovich reluctantly attends the fortieth reunion of his St. Clair High School graduating class, he gets a rude surprise: one of his classmates is found shot dead and another quickly becomes the main suspect. The suspect, successful playwright Tommy Wiggins, draws Milan into the case--and puts him in a very awkward position. Investigating his former schoolmates is an uncomfortable task for Milan, as he soon discovers the dark secrets of people he only thought he knew. The deceased Dr. Phil Kohn, it turns out, was a cad who managed to make more than a few enemies during his abbreviated life. But did a forty-year-old grudge really lead to his death? Or was it something more recent--a jealous spouse, a shady business partner? Milan’s hunt for the real killer leads him through the oddly intertwined worlds of Cleveland’s medical community, organized crime, polite suburban society, and hard-core drug dealers. It’s a tough investigation in which Milan could lose many friends—and, if he’s not careful, his life. “Milan is back after a six-year hiatus and just as sharp as ever … a must-read for any Cleveland mystery lover or displaced Clevelander. If you’re new to the series, don’t worry; the book stands wel alone even as it reminds fans of previous Milan adventures.” — About.com “A fresh and original mystery, highly recommended to those looking for a classic whodunit with new ideas.” — Small Press Bookwatch “Roberts writes exciting, well-paced mysteries, which is why his fans wanted more, but in this part of the country their appeal has a lot to do with the locale. When murder mysteries are set in places you know, they immediately become more compelling.” — News Journal “An enjoyable whodunit with a deep realistic look at Cleveland now and a nostalgic surreal look at the city in the 1960s though the distorted lens of memories.” — Midwest Book Review

#15 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . . A simple missing-person case gets complicated when Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) discovers that 28-year-old Earl Dacey left behind a strange collection of voyeuristic videos in his mother’s West Side Cleveland house. Was Earl just a pervert shadowing Catholic schoolgirls in Northeast Ohio shopping malls with his hidden camera . . . or had he become entangled with unsavory characters in the local adult film business? When Milan uncovers a possible link to organized crime, the FBI gets interested—and Milan’s “well connected” friend Victor Gaimari gets angry. After a dead body turns up, the Cleveland Police take over, and Milan figures he’s off the case. So why does crusty Lieutenant McHargue ask him to lend a hand? Still feeling the effects of a recent concussion and well aware of his aging body, Milan takes the advice of a colleague and hires an assistant. Kevin O’Bannion is young and eager to learn the P.I. business. An Army veteran with combat experience and a juvenile-crime record, he definitely won’t shy away from a fight. But will he be able to control his volatile temper and help get the job done? Milan finds out soon enough—with his own life on the line.

#16 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series . . . An oversized appetite for fine dining, flashy suits, and Las Vegas call girls has made Cleveland councilman Bert Loftus the target of media scrutiny and an FBI investigation that may end his career. Now he says someone is trying to kill him. Eager to identify his attacker but not so eager to work with the cops, Loftus turns to private investigator Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) for help. A working P.I. can't afford to be too choosy about his clients, so Milan takes the job—though he’s not inclined to take Loftus’s story seriously. At least it will be an opportunity to break in his new employee, young powder-keg Kevin "K.O." O'Bannion. Milan and K.O. quickly notice that something smells fishy—and it isn’t just the Whiskey Island Marina, where local power brokers down pricey drinks in front of Lake Erie sunsets. Loftus and several Cleveland landlords appear to be involved in something much darker than a typical cash-for-favors trade. After a kinky call girl is found dead near the Cleveland Zoo and secret sex tapes are discovered in her downtown high-rise, Milan and K.O. must follow a trail of bribes, bullet casings, and debauchery to find the killer and uncover the true menace amid the muck of local government corruption. Luckily they have the help of Cleveland police detective Tobe Blaine, a tough-as-nails officer recently relocated from Cincinnati. She and Milan team up in their search for clues and discover they have much more in common than crime . . .

The sudden death of a client leads private investigator Milan Jacovich (MY-lan YOCK-ovitich) and new associate Kevin “K.O.” O’Bannion behind the scenes at a harness racing track, where they find no shortage of odd characters, suspicious activities . . . and danger. Did wealthy horse owner/driver Glenn Gallagher make one too many enemies in the competitive racing world at Northcoast Downs? (Certainly the track’s owner, chilly Chloe Markham, isn’t mourning his loss.) Or did someone involved with Gallagher’s investment firm want him dead? Things get more complicated when Milan spots local mob boss Victor Gaimari at the funeral. Victor does have a legitimate investment business . . . but his henchman was seen lingering trackside at Northcoast Downs. Is there a connection? Though eager to learn the P.I. business, K.O. still has trouble staying out of trouble. Assigned to dig up some dirt in the horse barns, he tangles with hot-tempered trainer Del Fiddler, who’s jealous of his flirtatious and curvaceous wife—and handy with a horse whip. Another body turns up at the track, but the local sheriff’s office won’t share leads with a private investigator. Milan’s new flame, Cleveland police detective Tobe Blaine, can’t help; she’s out of her jurisdiction in Summit County. Milan finally confronts the killer alone—and once again finds himself in deep trouble!

The people of Queenstown, Ohio, don’t take kindly to strangers. But they have no choice in the matter after a man’s body is found in a local park, pants unzipped and stabbed through the heart―and a second man’s body turns up days later, his head bashed in. Local law enforcement needs help with the town’s first-ever murder investigation. Private investigator Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) tags along when his main squeeze, Cleveland homicide detective Tobe Blaine, is dispatched to rural Ashtabula County to handle the case. Word travels fast in the small town, and the mixed-race couple receives a cold welcome. The motel manager doesn’t like their looks, the coroner conveniently forgets key details, and patrons at the local watering hole flaunt their disrespect for Tobe’s out-of-town badge and her skin color. Milan enlists his young assistant, Kevin “K.O.” O’Bannion, to glean information from the town’s teens, who tell tales of their parents’ fervent devotion to their local pastor, an outspoken bigot. Did homophobia factor in the murders? Looming over the case is nearby Conneaut prison―privately run, overcrowded, and rumored to employ some questionable methods (as well as many local residents). Inside its walls, a powerful convict known as “The Prophet” just might have the information Tobe and Milan need to solve the case―if they can get him to talk. Queenstown might only be an hour’s drive from Cleveland, but Milan, Tobe, and K.O. find themselves strangers in a strange land. They also soon find themselves neck-deep in serious trouble.

#19 in the Milan Jacovich Mystery Series … When a celebrity-packed motivational event turns deadly, Cleveland private eye Milan Jacovich (MY-lan YOCK-ovitch) finds himself caught up in the mess. Milan and his associate Kevin “K.O.” O’Bannion are hired as extra security for several high-profile inspirational speakers at a convention in downtown Cleveland, where they get off to a rocky start. Each special guest seems more unpleasant than the last―particularly Tommy Triller, the main draw for the weekend, with an ego to match his bank account. Tensions run high, but Milan thinks they have things covered … until Triller’s dead body is found in his hotel room, a bullet hole between his eyes and a motivational CD jammed in his mouth. Among the suspects are fellow speakers, including southern psychologist Dr. Ben, who resented earning less than Triller; hip hop artist and convicted killer Hy Jinx; and former big-league baseball manager Tony Nardoianni, who might be willing to do almost anything for the right price. Milan figures he and K.O. are out of work when his significant other, Cleveland homicide detective Tobe Blaine, takes charge of the murder case. But to Milan’s surprise, his old nemesis and local mob boss Victor Gaimari asks Milan to work for him. Nardoianni owes Victor, who wants to make sure the debt is paid―and that the aging athlete’s gambling past stays under wraps as the murder investigation continues. Tobe’s not happy to have Milan and K.O. operating on her turf. But a job is a job, and Milan is determined to clear his new client of murder … by finding the real killer.