Reading Redemption Street reminded me of an old Mike Shayne mystery. Retired cop Moe Prager finds himself pummeled quite a bit in this book, reminiscent of Mike Shayne’s constant beatings. Prager gets involved in an investigation of a decades old fire in a Catskill hotel where 17 people died. Reed Farrel Coleman throws plenty of elements into the mix: a neo-Nazi cult, a colony of Hasidic Jews, an aging comedian, an ambitious politician, a corrupt police force, a mysterious real estate magnate, and crazy brother searching for his missing sister. There are a few sour notes in this story. And there’s one incredibly implausible scene near the book’s conclusion. But, if you can get by those flaws, Redemption Street is a compelling story. GRADE: B