Karen Anderson (karenand@halcyon.com)
Sun, 28 Nov 1999 21:10:53 -0800
Greetings. I'm new to the list and wondering if anyone here
has read the Prohibition-era hardboiled novels of Harlan
Reed. I just finished "The Seattle Swing Music Murder." On
one hand, it's terrible because Reed's pacing drags, and he
goes to absurd and distracting lengths to employ hokey
dialect (from mobsters and various blue collar ethnic
characters). One the other hand, it's wonderful because he
paints Prohibition-era life in fascinating detail. This just
about the best picture of swing clubs, speakeasies, and the
jazz scene that I've come across. Reed's detective, Dan
Jordan, is a gutsy, obnoxious wise guy. But unlike most
hardboiled detectives, Jordan makes fun of himself as well as
the moronic cops and lily-livered businessmen he deals
with.
Is anyone else familiar with Reed? I'd be curious to know
more about this author.
Karen Anderson
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