Filomena Buscarsela Mysteries (Paperback): 23 Shades of Black (Paperback)

When Filomena Buscarsela -- the tough-talking, street-smart, gutsy Ecuadorian heroine of k.j.a. Wishnia's "Soft Money" and "23 Shades of Black" -- learns about a foul-smelling glass factory located in a poor New York neighborhood, her cop instincts kick in. Her investigation into the illegal dumping of toxic waste takes her to seemingly idyllic Long Island, where she soon uncovers graft...and murder. Along the way, she encounters some memorable characters, including the Chinese-American chemistry whiz at a local university who helps Fil decode some poisonous industrial secrets, and a too-smart daughter of a wealthy North Shore family who takes Fil to the fancy parts of town and gives her the inside scoop on local politics. With the E.P.A. heating up the case, Filomena must act fast, and, as always, she's more than willing to break a few rules in the pursuit of justice. With all that on her plate, plus a four-year-old daughter to raise, Filomena barely has time for a personal life. But when she's not off fighting bad guys, she finds herself falling for a good man, and setting out on an entirely different but equally unpredictable adventure.