As I've mentioned elsewhere, the Mac series is a noir private eye series where the key feature of Mac is that he's just a good guy, solid, thoughtful, his wisecracks don't seem to come from a deep sarcasm or despair or sadness.  Instead, he genuinely stands up for people who are wronged in the world of crime and deception. In this, his first book, he displays these traits in a most satisfactory way. A solid hook, right from the start, you want to see where he's going and want him to succeed.