Crossover Cover: Tropical Heat

The first of John Lutz's novels about Florida P.I. Fred Carver. At one point, Carver takes a bite of his pan-fried steak and understands why he'll never be a gourmet like a private eye he met in Boston. This is a reference to Robert B. Parker's P.I. Spenser. There are two other crossovers involving Carver that I've already written up. He has a cameo in Robert J. Randisi's Miles Jacoby novel Hard Look, and his best friend Lt. DeSoto has a larger role. Lutz's story "Recreational Vehicle" (included in the Moonstone anthology Sex, Lies and Private Eyes) is a team-up between Carver and Lutz's other series P.I. character, Alo Nudger.