A circus-performer-turned-PI takes on “murder and intrigue from New York to Iran” in this “well done, suspenseful” unconventional mystery ( Newsday ).

With a genius IQ, a past career as a circus acrobat, and a black belt in karate, criminology professor Dr. Robert Frederickson—better known as “Mongo the Magnificent”—has a decidedly unusual background for a private investigator. He also just so happens to be a dwarf.

When his former big-top boss asks him to find a missing Iranian strongman, Mongo is plunged into a three-ring circus of murder, espionage, and international intrigue. And when Mongo’s own brother—police officer Garth Frederickson—gets involved, the detective must fly to Iran, a country on the brink of a revolution. Now he’s searching for two missing men, from Tehran to the ancient city of Persepolis, playing a game of a cat-and-mouse with forces far beyond his control. And unlike his days as an acrobat, this time, if he slips up, there’s no net . . .

With a fearless sense of fun, author George C. Chesbro continues the adventures of “one of the most appealing creations in the detective world” ( Publishers Weekly ).

City of Whispering Stone is the 2nd book in the Mongo Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.