i just loved this book and could not put it down. Brilliant storyline, great writing. I was surprised at the twist in this book, it's not who I thought it was considering the amount of suspects. It was a good surprise and that's what makes a good story. I'll definately recommend this book to others, might even read it again.

Delilah witnesses a hit and run and is knocked down in the process. She has a floundering private eye business to the point that she has to sleep in her office at night. She is able to produce enough evidence that they found the driver and a young Hispanic boy is put in jail. His mother asks her to take the case, but can only make payments weekly as she's a waitress. Delilah tries to get out of it but agrees to think about it. As she considers it, she realizes that not all of the facts line up. From there she starts digging to the point where she gets attacked, causing an old janitor to get stabbed while defending her. Things kind of go downhill from there. It was a very good read. The story kept you wanting to keep reading to find out all of the answers.

Hit and Run is a Delilah West thriller set in the late 1980's in Santa Ana, CA. It is a rainy January evening when Delilah is narrowly missed by a speeding, out of control Trans Am. But an elderly man, Joseph Collins, apparently was not so fortunate. With Delilah's detective skills engaged, she is able to give a full description and partial license plate number for the vehicle. The next day Michael Morales is arrested and it seems to be an open and shut case.

However, Michael's mother comes to see Delilah with the pretense of needing a private investigator to clear her son, saying that Delilah is the only one who can. This visit puts enough doubt in Delilah's mind that she begins to poke around. Her questions are not appreciated by the local officials, but become a serious matter with those that may not want such questions asked.

How do the lives of the deceased, Joe, and his daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law, the old lady Delilah chased on assignment at a major department store, millionaire businessman Erik Lunstrom, fellow investigator Charlie Colfax, and Amy Ferguson of Greenspace intersect? And which of them is trying to scare Delilah enough to stop investigating the accident? To what lengths will that person, or persons, go to prevent the truth from surfacing?

A very good mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat and reading as quickly as you can to see what happens next. Also a wonderful excursion into an earlier time when pay-phones rather that cell phones were used and research was not done at your fingertips using Google. I recommend Hit and Run.

Hit and Run is a story that reminds me of Kinsey Millhone. Delilah West is Ms O'Callaghan's PI. When I finished Hit and Run I read about Maxine O'Callaghan and was surprised and pleased to learn Ms West was around long before Ms Millhone. I have a lot of catching up to do on Delilah's previous cases! I was given an early copy to review.

This is a really fun series! I am glad it is back in print!

Readers familiar with Sue Grafton's novels will enjoy this mystery featuring a strong female lead character. O'Callaghan perfectly renders the pre-cell phone era when one had to rely on clunky face-to-face conversations to get information. There is a mystery within a mystery here, so once you think you've got it solved, the twist at the end will keep you engaged and reading to the last page.

Loved the twists and turns of this book and wanted to read 20 more!

This is the first time I've read this author & I really liked it. The writing is snappy, the action is plentiful and Delilah is an engaging character. Even though this the third book in the series you will be able to read it as a stand-alone as the author provides enough background. After reading Hit and Run I want to read the other two in this series .

Deliah West is a private investigator who has recently lost her husband and former partner. Her business is barely earning her a living. While she is jogging one night, she is almost hit by a car and a man has been runned over. She gives the police information that has them arresting the driver of the car she identified. The driver's mother goes to see Deliah wanting to hire her to prove that her son did not killed the man on the road. She says no initially but the more she thinks about it, she realizes there is something " wrong." Deliah decides to investigate. The more Deliah investigates the more confusing the case is. Will Deliah solve the mystery?

Hit and run is the first Deliah West novel I have read. I was immediately captivated from the first page I read to the last.
It was excellent in mystifying me as I tried to guess "who did it." I enjoyed this novel so much that I will be reading all the Deliah West mysteries I can find!

Hit & Run by Maxine O' Callaghan is a 2015 Brash Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the author and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hit & Run is an old fashioned “whodunit” featuring the very real and relatable, Delilah West. Originally published in the late 1980's, this book has been reissued “as is” by Brash Books.

Delilah is having a very bad year. If losing her husband a little while back wasn't enough, her private detective agency has fallen on very hard times and Delilah has been through a few physical scrapes along the way too. Now she is working as a waitress to make ends meet, sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor of her office, and to put the cherry on the cake, she nearly gets run over while out jogging. Although, she bangs up her knee, the other victim of the hit and run, Joseph Collins, wasn't quite so lucky.

It's not long before the cops find and arrest the driver, but the young man's mother pleads with Delilah to take a closer look at the situation. Did Delilah actually see the car strike Joseph? Could he have been dead before the “accident”. Placed in the this awkward position, Delilah agrees to ask around, even if it does border on the unethical side of things. However, Delilah's questions appear to strike a nerve with the victim's family and Delilah is wondering if one them had a motive from wanting the old man dead.

Reading this book now, in 2015, I simply could not stop myself from thinking how similar this book was to the Sue Grafton alphabet mysteries featuring Kinsey Millhone. The book is pretty short, written in first person, and takes place in the eighties. But, that is really where the comparisons need to stop.

Delilah is a very strong person, with wry wit, an occasional sarcastic remark, and is tough enough to take a lickin' and keep on tickin', but is also a little “accident” prone, making more trips to the hospital than is normal, and she has a softer side to her as well, especially when she makes an occasional reference to her late husband.

The plot has a few twist and turns, moves along at quick pace, and kept me guessing all the way through, with lots of action and suspense, which kept me interested and engaged. I thought the characters were well written, some of whom I liked and some of course I didn't care for.

The references to some automobiles and TV shows from the eighties added a touch of nostalgia, although of course that wasn't the intent when the book was written, but I was glad the book wasn't touched up or modernized in any way, since this gave the story an added charm. This is a solid mystery and I enjoyed getting to know Delilah West a little better. Although this book is a part of a series, this being the third one, (if I have my facts straight), this book can be read as a stand alone. 4 stars

Just a good PI story. No frills, no gimmicks. First published in 1989 and revived by Brash Books. This is writing as I remember from my younger years. Not drawn out with psychological deep thinking or pages of minutia (fluff). Straight forward story telling bringing reading enjoyment and at the last line of the last page hoping for more of the same. Keep them coming Brash Books!

Thrills & CHILLS! A non-stop roller coaster ride. Well written characters and a strong story line! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!