Lacey Lockington
Created by Ross H. Spencer (1921-1998)
Another of Spencer's wonky Chicago dicks, LACEY LOCKINGTON is a hard-drinkin', two-fisted, no-nonsense straight-shootin' kinda guy. In fact, it's his no-nonsense straight-shootin' that gets him bumped off the police force, with a little help from a left-wing scandal sheet that has him pegged as a killer cop. All this just because he guns down a few miscreants. And so our hero finds himself in need of some kind of employment. Private investigation seems like a natural choice.
Lacey's second appearance, The Devereaux Files (1990), is particularly enjoyable. In it, Lacey investigates the murder of an old friend who turns out to have beenn a member of the CIA. Soon enough Lacey's up to his eyebrows in beautiful women, nasty hitmen, the KGB and the Mob.
Like all of Spencer's P.I.'s, Lacey's a colourful and rather eccentric character -- a determined bachelor, with a taste for the (questionably) finer things in life, such as Martell's Cognac, loose women and the Cider Press Federation, a highly-complicated mock baseball league whose play is controlled by an intricate combination of cards, dice and highly detailed charts. not quite as wacky and far-fetched as some of Spencer's other eyes, I actually found Lacey more enjoyable, and easier to take. Like all Spencer books, though, these are best served on a hammock on a sunny afternoon, accompanied by an ice-cold beverage or three, with a ballgame playing in the background on a portable radio.
If you enjoy Lacey, you should also check out Chance Purdue, Buzz Deckard, Birch Kirby and Luke Lassiter.
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