Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed    by Marc Blatte Order:  USA  Can Schaffner Press, 2009 (2009) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Combine 'hip-hop and noir mystery', as is suggested on the inside flap of the cover of Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed by Marc Blatte, and you arrive at a unique combination that works. And works well. A security guard at the door to an extremely popular nightclub in Manhattan is shot to death. His look-alike cousin, at the same time, is run down by an SUV and severely injured. Detective Black Sallie Blue Eyes (don't you love the moniker?) is assigned to the case, which leads him around New York and its environs and into the hip-hop scene. Convoluted? Sure, you betcha. After this reader got a little used to the language used by the police and the hip-hoppers, I couldn't read fast enough. Author Marc Blatte at one time was a protégé of Ed McBain, which might account for the to-the-point dialogue and character-driven plot. Sure to have picked up pointers from McBain, Blatte has lost no time in finding his own voice and sharing it with us. He has a solid background in the music business and it shows as he brings music knowledgably into the mix of highly tuned characters – some of whom you'd love to meet and others you'll hope to never meet. I truly enjoyed Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed and look forward to more fast action and meaty characters from Marc Blatte. His book is well worth the read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews