Rampart Street

Let me start by saying, I started the series with this book.
I like the detective. I can't think of a character I hate. The plot is a slow ambling toward the solution. And it works. There isn't any big action sequence. The answer is obvious at the beginning, but the why is the mystery. The solution is layered and makes sense. The resolution is okay as well.
My biggest problem is the depressing overall nature of the book. Everyone seems to be moving through life convinced of its hopelessness. That doesn't make for the best read.