Michael Utger literally burst into the elite of the “best” masters of the detective genre, displacing such generally recognized masters as Carter Brown, Earl Stanley Gardner and Mickey Spillane. Even the throne of the king of hard-boiled detective James Hedley Chase was shaken... but so far it has stood. For how long? After reading the novel “Life in Pieces,” lovers of edgy plots will be able to see for themselves the seriousness of Michael Utger’s claims.