Russian Nonsensical

Webster’s gonzo second romp for L.A. PIs Stan Stein and Bud Randolph (after American Nonsensical) is a rewarding ride. Bud, envious of Stan’s engagement to the pair’s assistant, Melanie, decides to seek his own wife through a service called Russian Brides Unlimited. Meanwhile, their detective agency gets a pair of new clients. Emelia Clark, who works in a bank’s fraud department, wants photos taken of anyone entering or leaving a particular house between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon. She won’t explain, but the request appears to have some connection to a shadowy federal investigation. Then reverend Clem Dudas, a snake-handler, hires Stan and Bud to retrieve two of his beloved rattlesnakes, Dobie and Maynard, whom he believes were kidnapped by his wife. Dudas shares Bud’s devotion to Donald Trump, and he asks Bud to mail a letter to an unknown recipient once he’s in Russia to meet women. Webster manages to fit each of the story’s outlandish pieces together, largely thanks to his mischievous sense of humor (at one point, Bud states he was at the Capitol on January 6, identifying himself as “the one in the red cap”). Carl Hiaasen fans will hope to see more of Stan and Bud soon. (Self-published)