“You think I’m in the wrong line of work?”

“I think running a bar can be more fun than most jobs, including mine. It can also be a lot of work.”

“People deserve a cold one after a long day.”

“People enjoy a cold one. I’m not sure what any of us deserve.”

I knew nothing of Indy Perro, author of the novella Welcome to the Party, before I picked it up on a free offer. But I was happy with what I got.

It’s 1973 (this is, I think, a prequel story). Vincent Bayonne is a rookie cop in (the fictional) Central City. He’s recently back from Vietnam. He misses the action, and became a cop for the danger, and maybe to make a difference. But so far, the work has been pretty routine. He and his veteran partner are assigned to what’s considered a plum day’s assignment – providing security for a mayoral candidate who’ll be making a speech at a VFW post.

The candidate, it turns out, is both a lush and a lech. The crowd will turn out a little more rambunctious than expected. And Vincent will get the opportunity to save a life.

Welcome to the Party is a simple story. The writing is spare and clean, the characters believable and sympathetic. I was impressed. I’ve purchased the next book in the series, and look forward to seeing where this is going.