Liz Brady, Bad Date (2001). A new-to-me Canadian writer, with
yet another poet's namesake as hero--Jane Yeats, true-crime
writer and amateur detective. When the hooker next door is
killed and dumped in her front yard, Jane starts feeling
guilty for being so disdainful of her because of her
occupation and to atone, investigates her murder. A large
number of prostitutes have disappeared from the streets in
the past few years but the police don't seem to be trying too
hard to find out what's happened to them; maybe they just
moved away. It was obviously inspired by the Vancouver
situation, but set in Toronto. There's some feminist debate
about prostitution worked in. Jane rides a motorcycle, can
throw a punch, and drinks a lot--fairly literary, yet
colloquial, too. Hardboiled enough for me. Brady's previous
effort, Sudden Blow, won the Crime Writers' of Canada's
Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. I'm on the lookout
for it now.
Mike Shelley, The Last Private Eye in Belfast (1984). Catchy
title, right? I couldn't quite decide whether this was a
spoof or not, but it was fun. Bernard Holland, private eye,
goes off on a wild goose chase. He takes off over the
rooftops, is involved in couple of car accidents, one of them
going over a cliff, and has a few fistfights and several
shootouts with assorted bad guys. Plus he takes the stage and
plays a few fiddle tunes in a daring escape from danger. The
Irish setting is interesting and the political allusions are
few. The book has a kind of low-budget, almost
self-published, feel to it. According to the cover, there are
two more in the series.
Lawrence Block, A Dance to the Slaughterhouse (1992). In
between AA meetings, Matthew Scudder tracks down the people
who made a home video of the sexual torture and killing of a
young man. A very unpleasant story, but as usual, very well
written.
Jeremiah Healy, Yesterday's News (1989). A newspaper reporter
consults John Cuddy about shady politics and police
corruption, all tied up with a pornography ring. Things
aren't quite what they seem, however. Decently written but
not terribly exciting.
John Farrow, City of Ice (1990). It's about the biker war in
Montreal (the Russian mafia is part of it), with a police
detective trying to solve a couple of murders. There is an
espionage angle, as well. Kind of gory, a few torture scenes.
I found it especially interesting because it takes place in
Montreal, where I live, and especially scary for the same
reason. There was some discussion a while back about the
reality of biker gangs and wars. They are a real problem
here. The trial of the head of the Nomads
(Hell's Angels "elite"), Maurice "Mom" Boucher, just wound
up, with him being found guilty of ordering the murders of
two randomly selected prison guards. Another massive trial of
17 Hell's Angels is still going on.
Martin Limó®¬ Jade Lady Burning. I read this for Hispanic lit
month and liked it. The protagonist hero is with the military
police in Korea and he and his partner have to solve the
murder of a Korean prostitute. It is a very interesting look
at Korean society, at least as it revolves around a U.S.
military base.
James Crumley, The Mexican Tree Duck followed by
Bordersnakes. Purely coincidentally, I read them in the right
order. Milo doesn't figure in the first, and in the second,
alternate first-person chapters are narrated by him and
Shugrue. If I were writing a thesis on the subject, I could
probably find features to distinguish their voices, but in a
quick read it was the content, not the form, that gave it
away. That, and the helpful chapter headings. Too many people
to count get killed, usually shot. The stories are convoluted
and move right along. The Mexican Tree Duck I found somewhat
more implausible than Bordersnakes, but they're both worth a
read. I am not a Western fan, but I see elements of the
Western in them, starting with the setting.
John D. MacDonald, Bright Orange for the Shroud (1965). Hey!
A Gold Medal at last. At a library sale, for 50 cents apiece,
I picked up half a dozen JDMs PBs plus a hardcover omnibus
edition, A Tan and Sandy Silence and Two Other Great
Mysteries (The Long Lavender Look and Bright Orange for the
Shroud, as I realized when I got home). McGee goes after some
con artists who have fleeced an acquaintance of his. He
triumphs, if only partially, but there is a happy romantic
ending, although not for him, the eternal loner.
Ross Thomas, The Money Harvest (1975). One of his Washington
novels, in which lawyer Ancel Easter and unorthodox
investigator Jake Pope (I don't think they are series
characters, but I'm not sure) try to figure out what is going
to happen on a certain date. Whatever it is, people are being
killed over it. The plot revolves around politics, greed,
blackmail, and the commodities market. Thomas plots
fantastically well and his writing is equally good.
I've just started Night Work, by Laurie King, featuring San
Francisco police detective Kate Martinelli, and can hardly
put it down.
Karin
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