'Lenny Bartulin [is] Australia's uniquely ironic answer to Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming.'

'A taut, Chandler-esque detective story, written with a deft comic touch.'

'There's an admirable precision to the language. The dialogue is snappy and funny. His visual description is fresh and resonant … Those who like their crime fiction fast, funny and offbeat will be rewarded here and will wish Susko Books stays in business for several books more.'

'Bartulin's disciplined prose flies along, dragging the reader through one twist after another, like a cartoon dog-walker clinging to a leash.'

'The Black Russian is Bartulin’s second novel featuring second-hand bookseller-turned-detective Jack Susko, and like its 2008 predecessor A Deadly Business, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced crime thriller ... Bartulin clearly knows all the tricks of the hard-boiled trade, from the wisecracking amateur detective who’s always in over his head, to the plot twists and double-double crosses that keep you guessing right to the end. This is a fun read with lots of Sydney local colour and is highly recommended to all crime fans.' FOUR STARS

'Struggling bookshop owner Jack stumbles upon an art gallery theft and, along with a mysterious object nicked from the safe, the robbers grab a valuable first edition from Jack. As this unusual mystery unfolds, Jack enters a world of deceit, theft and intrigue, the result being a work of art in itself.'

'a winning way with words.'

'The writing is polished, slick and full of wisecracks: the characters quirky, bordering on affectedly eccentric. There's more than an irreverent nod to Philip Marlowe in a fun and entertaining read.'