Knock Off the Hat is the first volume in what I hope will be an ongoing series that improves with time. The central character, Clifford Waterman, is a former police officer and WWII veteran, dishonorably discharged for being gay, currently working as a private investigator. Waterman's an interesting character: comfortable with his own homosexuality, but resigned to the status quo of bar life and the constant threat of harassment or violence from the police.

Knock off the Hat opens in the aftermath of a police bar raid. For years, gay men have been able to get morals charged dropped via an unethical and homophobic judge (known as "The Hat") for a payment of $50. Suddenly that price is raised to $500, far more money than many men can raise, dooming them to public exposure and a shattered life—or suicide. Waterman is hired to try to find a way around this price increase, through a mix of investigation and favors from others. From there the story grows more complex.

I enjoyed the novel, but the writing style felt heavy-handed—almost as if the sentences were soldiers dutifully marching past me in formation. I realize that description may not make sense, but it definitely describes my experience reading Knock Off the Hat. I expect, however, that this is a series where both the style and the characters will grow more satisfyingly complex over time, and I will definitely have an eye open for the next volume.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus; the opinions are my own. ( )