CERI JORDAN “Rough Justice.” First published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July/August 2001. Reprinted in The Shamus Winners: America’s Best Private Eye Stories, Volume II: 1992-2009, edited by Robert J. Randisi (Perfect Crime Books, 2010).

   Here’s am award winning PI story which I’m willing to wager (but not too much)  which you’ve never heard of, neither the author nor the story itself. I’m also will to shake your hand if you have. I came across it Robert Randisi’s collection of PWA award-winning short stories, which I highly recommend in case you don’t already own a copy.

   Authors include the likes of Jeremiah Healy, Loren Estlemnan and Warren Murphy, all of whom I know you know; but also writers such as Mitch Alderson, Pearl Abraham and Michel Wiecek, whom you probably as much in the dark about as I am.

   Also in the latter group is Ceri Jordam, whose only story to have been published in a major crime fiction magazine is this one. Most of her work, which includes dozens of short stories, has bern published in small press literary magazines and the like, most of which I’m not familiar with either. Its leading protagonist is a PI only by common consent. What he really has been doing, when this story starts, is a UN training instructor in the Balkans after all the hostilities there a quarter century or so ago.

   He was the closest (and most reliable) man they could find to investigate the death of a sergeant for the UN Forces whose body has been found off base and whose death needs to be looked into. It seems as though he had been making a habit of such extracurricular activities. It is not expected to be a major case. Most likely, a jealous hatband was responsible.

   And that’s about all of the clues they have, but Nick, while not enthused, does take his job seriously. I did refer to the time period as “post war,” long before any reconstruction has begun, and I have to tell you that this is the grimmest PI story I have ever read.

   And that’s about all I am going to tell you about this one. Is it well written? Yes/ Am I happy I read it?  Yes, I think so, but I also should add that I’m not as sure about that. Do I recommend you find a copy? Well, of course, or I wouldn’t have brought it up